


All I Want For Christmas is For You Two to Get Your Shit Together

by wayward_sherlock



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Bad Humor, Baking In the Men of Letters Bunker, But what can I say, Castiel and Dean Winchester Need to Use Their Words, Charlie Bradbury Has a Plan, Charlie Bradbury Ships Castiel/Dean Winchester, Charlie Bradbury in the Men of Letters Bunker, Christmas, Christmas Cookies, Dean Winchester in DEANial, Dean is a Disaster Bi, Domestic Team Free Will (Supernatural), Extremely oblivious Dean Winchester, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, I'm Bad At Tagging, Idiots in Love, Like, M/M, Movies in the MoL Bunker, Oblivious Dean Winchester, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Sam Winchester Has a Plan, Sam Winchester Ships Castiel/Dean Winchester, Sam Winchester is So Done, Sexual Tension, Sorry Not Sorry, bc why not, i crack myself up, running from my problems faster than team free will runs from cougars
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-05
Updated: 2020-12-26
Packaged: 2021-03-10 04:53:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 11
Words: 22,254
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27888583
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wayward_sherlock/pseuds/wayward_sherlock
Summary: It’s Christmastime. Charlie and Sam have just about had it with Dean and Cas being idiots in love. So they decide to take matters into their own hands. ~fluff ensues~
Relationships: Castiel/Dean Winchester
Comments: 138
Kudos: 160





	1. The Plan

Christmastime was usually treated like every other holiday time. Cases during the holiday season were few and far between. Cas would sit with Sam and read in the library for a little while before sulking off when Dean left to do God knows what in his room, and Sam just sat quietly, pretending to be oblivious to the sexual tension that was so thick it would giggle in the face of a chainsaw murderer. Charlie was usually off somewhere with Dorothy enjoying their adventures, but this year was different. This year, Dorothy was in Oz and Charlie wasn't, so Sam invited her to the bunker.

"Sam! Merry Christmas!" The woman hugged Sam tightly, speaking directly into his chest, as he was a full foot taller than her.

Sam chuckled. "It's December fifteenth _,_ Charlie. Don't go around spreading holiday cheer. I’m warning you, Dean's a grinch, and Cas still doesn't understand the concept." Charlie's lips formed an "o", then a mischievous grin.

"Well, Samuel, I will spread holiday cheer if I want to. I brought drinks, presents, _aaaand_ -" Charlie paused and looked at Sam with a knowing face, "-a plan!"

Sam was intrigued by this. He looked both ways, then over the balcony to make sure nobody was listening. He turned back to Charlie to see her sprinting off towards her newly acquired yet ancient turquoise Volkswagen Bug, beckoning back to Sam to follow her. Sam rolled his eyes and sighed dramatically before running after her.

"Slug Bug!" Charlie cried happily as he approached, and when Sam was in range, she punched him in the arm with all her might. Sam laughed, but the punch had actually _hurt_. He knew the only reason Charlie had bought the quirky little bug was to obnoxiously clobber anyone and everyone who got near her car. "Now come use your big, strong, muscle-y muscles to help a girl get her stuff inside!"

Sam popped the trunk to find some frivolous wrapping paper staring back at him. "Charlie, you really just had to spring for the most obnoxious wrapping paper you could find, didn't you?"

Charlie pouted, crossing her arms and sticking her bottom lip out. "I like to treat my friends, Sam, and look! Each wrapping paper corresponds to who it's for!" Charlie pointed to a medium sized box that had bacon on it. "That one's for Dean," she said, before gesturing to a small box with little bees on it. "That one's for Cas," Sam was inspecting the bee wrapping paper with a smile when a heavy box thudded against his arm. "And this one's for you!"

Sam looked down and groaned. "Seriously?!" The box was covered in freaking _devil emojis_. Charlie hummed happily in response, grabbing a large Hello Kitty duffle bag from the trunk.

"There are other ones too, but those will be a surprise. Here, I'll carry these, and you carry the merry!" Charlie laughed. She handed Sam a box overflowing with Christmas decorations, tinsel, ornaments, and a Santa hat. Sam wobbled back to the bunker, the weight of the box almost too much for his sasquatch muscles. 

Charlie followed closely behind with a stack of boxes taller than her head. She stumbled a few times, and when she got to the staircase leading into the bunker she toed each step in front of her before carefully moving down. Sam put down the decoration box to run and help Charlie before she plummeted head-first down the stairs. 

"Allow me to help." Cas appeared out of nowhere and nearly sent Charlie careening over the handrail. Cas snapped his fingers and suddenly Charlie's arms were empty and her gifts were sitting in a neat pile on the table below. Charlie looked down at her now box-less hands, before looking up at Cas in awe.

"Cas!" Charlie squealed. She ran to hug the angel, throwing her hands around his neck and burying her head in his shoulder. Cas smiled softly and patted her back awkwardly before Charlie let go. "Merry Christmas!"

"Merry-uh-Christmas?" Cas said, looking at Sam with a confused expression, only to see that Sam was glaring at Charlie, who was beaming at Castiel. They stood in a triangle of stares for what seemed like forever before they heard a door shutting in the halls of the bunker. Dean walked into the room, and Charlie ran over and threw herself at him, nearly knocking him over. 

“Heya, Charles.” Dean chuckled, wrapping his arms around the girl and planting an audible kiss on her fiery red hair. “How’s it goin’?”

“Oh, Dean, it’s fantasmagorical! I got a new car, I got you all some gifts, and I came to spread some Christmas cheer!” Charlie announced, motioning to the stack of boxes and bags on the table. Dean chuckled again before looking around. 

“You guys seen Cas?” 

Sam looked at Dean like he was an idiot (which is still up for debate). “Dude, he’s literally standing right-” Cas wasn’t there anymore. Huh. Sam turned around in a circle, looking for any awkward trench coats in his vicinity. “Where’d he go?”

Charlie glanced at Sam with a sly grin and yawned dramatically, stretching her arms above her head. “Well, boys, as much as I’d love to help you find the angel you seem so keen on misplacing, I really oughta get some rest.” She jerked her head towards the hallway, mouthing something that looked like _canned honey is better than blue_ to the giant in the room _._ Sam squinted at her. “Can you help me to my room, Sam?” She said through gritted teeth, disappointed the sasquatch hadn’t caught her drift. Sam still looked confused. Charlie pasted a wide smile on as she craned her neck to an uncomfortable looking angle towards the hallway. “Dean, can you make some food? I’m starving.” She finally sighed, defeated. 

Dean, who was looking down at his phone, nodded distractedly. “Yeah, I’ll whip up some hamburgers, sound good?” He was texting Cas, asking the angel where he had gone. 

“Sounds delicious.” Dean wandered off to the kitchen, and Charlie looked at Sam with puppy dog eyes that rivalled his own. 

“Please come to my room, we need privacy to discuss my plan.” Sam pointed at her awkwardly, remembering Charlie’s earlier claim that she came armed with a plan. He hoisted her Hello Kitty duffle bag (which was _extremely_ heavy. What the hell could she have in there? Bricks?) over his shoulder and led her to one of the many extra rooms in the bunker. As soon as she shut the door behind her, Charlie dropped the puppy dog eyes and turned on her _I-have-an-extreeemely-evil-plan-and-you-will-comply-or-I-will-slaughter-you_ face. She rubbed her hands together as Sam sat down on the bed. 

“I have a wondrous scheme to get our boys together.” Sam motioned to himself. “No, not you, you fool. I have a full-proof plan to get Dean and Cas together by Christmas.”


	2. Oh Christmas Tree, Oh Christmas Tree

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The one where Sam and Charlie begin step one of their diabolical plan: picking a Christmas tree.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it took so long to get this chapter up. I’m still new to this.😂  
> Please enjoy:)

_**December 16** _

  
“But Deeeean.” Charlie said, her red hair falling wildly around her shoulders.

“Don’t ‘Deeeean’ me, Charles. I don’t do Christmas trees. Right, Sammy?” Dean was cooking breakfast in the kitchen, his _Kiss the Cook_ apron stained from bacon grease and other things he’d rather not examine too closely. 

Sam just shrugged, taking a big sip from his protein drink. “I don’t know, Dean, this is Charlie’s first Christmas with us-“

“-And I’m the lady of the house!” Charlie interjected.

“-And she’s the lady of the house, I think we should do it.” Sam took another drink of his protein shake in fake contemplation. “Come to think of it, this is Cas’ first official Christmas with us too, we might as well go all out. Besides, Charlie already brought all the ornaments and stuff, so why not?”

Dean turned around and hit Sam with his spatula. “You, your health drinks, and your logic disgust me.” Dean turned back around, expertly flipping a pancake from the pan onto a plate for Charlie. He added syrup and whipped cream in the shape of a smiley face before handing it to her with a dramatic curtsy. “For you, madame, the only other sane eater in this household.”

Cas appeared suddenly on the barstool next to Sam, nearly sending him and his protein drink falling to the floor. “But I don’t eat, Dean, so technically I cannot be classified as a ‘not sane’ eater.”

“Jesus H. Christ, Cas, never sneak up on a man when he’s cooking.” Dean said, slashing the air a couple times as if he were a pirate and his spatula was a sword. He turned back to slide some bacon onto Charlie’s plate. “What do you think about getting a Christmas tree?”

Cas tilted his head, squinting intently at Dean, his gaze flitting left and right between Dean’s green eyes. Dean looked back, mocking the angel’s intense stare. Charlie snuck a sly grin at Sam, and Sam snorted and held a hand up to his face as some protein shake threatened to make its way out his nose.

“I think that the traditions associated with ‘Christmas’-”he used finger quotes, sending Charlie into an unsuccessfully stifled fit of giggles. “-are severely overrated, but if Charlie wishes to have a tree, I believe we should get one. Where to acquire one, I do not know.”

Dean sighed and rolled his eyes, wiping a hand on his apron. He pointed the spatula at Charlie, who stopped chewing mid-bite, her cheeks flaring out like a chipmunk caught eating too many walnuts.

“I don’t know where to get one either, so do your research and we’ll go grab one. We are _not_ taking Baby, though. I don’t want her to get scratched.” Charlie nodded enthusiastically while swallowing her pancake.

“I’ll get on it after I finish my _delightful_ breakfast. Thank you, handmaiden.” Charlie saluted Dean with her fork and he rolled his eyes again and mumbled under his breath. She winked at Sam. _Step one of the plan was now in motion._

An hour and a half later, the four musketeers turned onto a dirt road just outside of town in an old farmer’s truck with a large bed. The cabin only had a single bench seat, and because Sam had insisted on driving and Charlie had initiated a heated game of _nose goes_ , Cas was sitting awkwardly on Dean’s lap.

“I do not see the need to travel in a car, I could’ve just flown.” Cas muttered under his breath, and Dean patted his friend’s thigh soothingly. Charlie nudged Sam with her elbow, and Dean seemed to break out of a daze and snapped his hand away from Cas’ thigh so fast he hit it on the window. 

“Man, there are so many trees here!” Dean said, obviously trying to change the subject in the midst of the awkward silence that had fallen over the car. “Shit, we didn’t even measure the bunker. How’re we gonna know which one to get?”

Sam shook his head. “I don’t know man, I guess it’ll just hit you.” Charlie snickered.

“I can go measure the bunker if you’d like, Dean.” Cas said, watching the elder Winchester with soft eyes. Dean shifted his weight and cleared his throat uncomfortably under the gaze of the ocean eyes.

“Y-yeah, yes, please, that’d be great.” Dean stuttered, and with a _whoosh_ of wings, his lap was empty. “He really should’ve just flown.”

“Yeah, but where’s the fun in that? This is all about _adventure_ and _bonding_ , Dean-o.” Charlie said brightly, intentionally ignoring the way Dean shifted his hand into his lap.

Dean scowled at her. He was through with her crap enthusiasm, especially when he was having himself a problem between his legs.

“Hey, there, stranger! What are y’all looking for today?” A thin man with kind eyes and an elf hat came strutting up to the driver’s side window as Sam pulled into _Dave’s Evergreens_. Sam smiled at the man.

“My friend was just going to get back to us on the measurements, could you give us a second?” The man nodded at Sam’s kindness, walking towards a car that had pulled in behind them.

“The bunker is approximately eighteen feet tall in the war room.” Castiel suddenly appeared back on Dean’s lap. Dean jumped, then sighed, running a hand over his face. 

The man in the elf hat came back to the window, oblivious to the additional person that magically entered the car. “You’re friend get back to you yet, sir?” 

Sam nodded. “We’d like the twelve foot trees, please.”

The man pointed across the hood of the truck. “Just over there a ways, you’ll know ‘em when you see ‘em.”

Sam thanked the man and pulled to the right, onto a road surrounded by small pine trees. Charlie hummed happily along to some song she had stuck in her head while Dean and Cas avoided looking at each other. 

Sam pulled in front of some tall trees, putting the truck in park. As he turned off the ignition, the group could hear the lyrics of a popular Christmas song wafting through the trees. Dean shivered involuntarily.

Charlie clasped her hands together. “Well, I think we all know what a good Christmas tree looks like, hmm?” She ignored the fact that Cas raised his hand, like he had a question. (He did, indeed. Cas had no idea what a good Christmas tree looked like, but he supposed he would find out soon enough.) “Sam and I will look on the left side of the road, Dean, you and Cas can look on the right. Meet back here in an hour. Okay? Okay!” 

Sam threw open the driver’s side door and hustled into the trees with Charlie on his heels, leaving an awkward angel on the lap of a hunter with a boner. It was going to be a long day.

“Cas, this looks like a good tree, right?”

“Dean, I don’t know what a good tree looks like in terms of Christmas trees.” Cas said, squinting up at the top of the tree. Dean sighed audibly.

“Dude, use your angel-ness to look at pictures of Christmas trees or something. ‘Cause Sammy and Charlie ditched us, and like hell am I gonna let them find a better tree.” Cas trained his ocean eyes on Dean, a faraway look passing over his face as he searched the vastness of his knowledge for Christmas trees. 

“I think any tree that you like would be a good tree, Dean. Like the tree from Charlie Brown. That one was a sad, dying tree, but it was loved by the children.” Dean chanced a look at Cas. His intense glare had softened dramatically, leaving almost a wistful smile on the angel’s face. 

“In that case, I have the perfect tree for you, sunshine.” Hold on. Did Dean seriously just call Cas _sunshine?_ Cas grinned, either oblivious to or ignoring the blush making itself known on Dean’s cheeks. “Uh-um-follow me, _bro_ .” Jesus Christ, Dean really had no sense of self preservation. _At least he balanced out the sunshine comment._

He fumblingly shuffled away from the angel towards a tree they had passed on their way to the one they had been standing at. When Dean stopped in front of the tree, Cas gasped. 

“It’s beautiful, Dean. Truly unique, just like you.”

Dean’s cheeks flushed red, and he coughed forcefully. “Yeah, well, it reminds me of us, right? A little mangled, broken here and there, but still growing strong.” Cas beamed at the tree, and Dean couldn’t help but notice how adorable his angel looked.

Wait. _His_ angel? 

_Oh, crap._

“Is this seriously the tree y’all want? We have some mighty fine ones on the lot, I’d be more than happy to trade this one for a more...traditional one. This one is damaged, too, I’ll gladly get you another.” The man in the elf hat said as he tied down the last of the rope. Their tree was taller than the bed of the truck, and the top hung off the back like a tail that didn't quite know what to do with itself.

Charlie laughed, shaking the man’s hand. “We love our tree, thank you. It _is_ quite unique.” She grinned at Sam, who returned the gesture. 

The tree Cas and Dean had picked out was eleven feet, seven and a half inches. The trunk was gnarled, burn marks lapping at the lower branches like tattoos. The needles had been falling off consistently since they had put it in the back of the truck, but the group had elected to ignore it. It was a beautifully ugly tree, complete with scars from troubling times, but once it had some ornaments on it, it would be breathtaking. 

Dean grunted in agreement with Charlie, Sam chuckled, and Cas just stood a little too close to Dean for comfort (though the hunter neglected to move), staring at the tree like it was the next messiah. The night had begun to settle in as the group got back on the road, black and deep blue bleeding into the setting sun. The four had mindlessly slipped into the same seating arrangement as before (with far less complaining from Dean).

“I think it’s truly poetic that they chose that tree, Sam. It’s almost like it's a Freudian slip or something.” Charlie whispered to Sam, under the cover of the Metallica blaring through the speakers. 

“Well, your plan is working so far, Charlie, so I wouldn’t doubt it.” Sam replied, sparing a glance at the other two passengers in the car. Dean sang along to the music, and even Cas hummed along to the words, looking at the elder Winchester with a small smile playing on his lips. “I think this calls for some celebratory eggnog when we get home, yeah?”

Charlie nodded enthusiastically, drawing the attention of Dean. “What’s got you so happy, Charles? Care to share with the class?” Dean said, frowning. 

"You are _hopelessly_ in love with your best friend and finally starting to realize it, you dick." Charlie muttered under her breath, frowning a bit. Dean put a hand up to his ear, the international signal for _huh?_ Charlie smiled wide. "Sam said we could break into the eggnog when we get back to the Batcave!" Dean smiled and nodded, returning to his singing that rivalled his shower performances. 

Cas’ eyes remained fixed on Charlie, his brows pulling together, as the other three sang their way through the dark, the only light coming from the twin beams of the headlights. 

_Dean was hopelessly in love with...who?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I would just like to say that I LOVE domestic Team Free Will.  
> That is all.  
> Updates coming soon!!


	3. The Best Way to Spread Christmas Cheer is Singing Loud for All to Hear

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The tree needs some decorating, and Dean gets a little carried away with the Christmas music.

_**December 17** _

“Dean, it doesn’t count as Christmas music if it’s AC/DC!” Charlie pouted from her seat at the table. She had been getting decorations out of her box which was still, miraculously, half full (Charlie had claimed to learn some Mary Poppins magic in Oz) and laying them on the table in the war room while Dean and Sam struggled with the tree.

Almost in response, Dean pointed at her. “ _I want a mistress for Christmas!”_ He sang along to the music echoing from the speaker Charlie had brought. Dean’s pointing caused the tree to collapse to his side, eliciting a yelp from Sam.

“Dean! Chill out, man, or I’m gonna ask Cas to help me and you’ll have to help Miss Merry over there with _organizing.”_ Sam said from behind the tree. Dean shivered, like he was absolutely _appalled_ by the thought of organizing, and reached up to steady the tree.

Cas stood just over Charlie’s shoulder, his head tilted to the side in a way that reminded Dean of a raven. “Just a bit to the right, then I think it’ll be perfect.” 

The Winchesters grunted, straining to push the mangled tree into position. “Better?” Dean panted, licking his lips as he looked at Cas.

Cas just stared back at him with wide eyes, completely flustered.

“Sure, it looks terrific!” Charlie said, covering for the angel who had apparently lost all ability to form coherent sentences. She glared at Dean. “Now skip this poor excuse for Christmas music before I shove the tree up your ass, Dean.”

“Kinky.” Dean said, sticking his tongue out at Charlie before strutting over to his phone. He sighed as he pressed skip, then a more tame song came on. He turned back to admire the tree when his eyes caught on Cas, who was looking back at Dean like he had seen a ghost. Dean shifted uncomfortably under the gaze of the angel, and was glad when Charlie began to talk on as if nothing had happened.

“Alright, so I’m thinking we use Cas’ magical angel-ness to zap the ornaments-“ she emphasized this part of her plan with magic fingers “-to the top of the tree, but the rest of us can do it the old fashioned way, whaddya say, fellas?” Charlie looked at each of the men in turn, as if daring them to oppose her or offer another idea. (Charlie was a very _my way or the highway, bitches_ type of gal when it came to Christmas stuff.)

“Sounds good, Charlie!” Sam said, pulling pine needles out of his hair, looking like a chimpanzee-sasquatch hybrid. “Do you know which ornaments you want at the top?” 

Charlie nodded, gesturing to a pile of sparkly ornaments of all shapes, sizes and colors. “I have these ones, for sure, but if there’s anything you guys wanna put near the top, feel free to just add them to the pile.”

Dean contemplated a second before sprinting back to his room. 

“Uh, okay then.” Charlie said, perplexed. She turned to Cas, whose face was just beginning to color again. “Can you start off with the lights? Oh, and the tinsel?”

Cas nodded, then absentmindedly snapped his fingers. The tree suddenly lit up with warm lights, the silver tinsel causing the light to bounce around the room. Charlie and Sam looked up at the tree in awe.

“Ca-Cas, can you do the ornaments now?” Sam breathed, gazing at the tree like he was looking at the love of his life (or some really good kale). 

Cas nodded again, snapping his fingers multiple times. With each snap, a dozen more ornaments appeared on the top half of the tree, perfectly placed, dazzling in the light.

Dean rushed back into the war room with a small box in his hands, and when he saw the tree, he stopped short. “Holy shit.” He gasped, almost losing his grip on the box.

Charlie was the first to shake out of her daze. “Dean, whatcha got there?” She asked, shuffling over to peek into his box.

Dean pulled it away from her prying eyes. “Nunya beeswax, Charles.” He glanced at Cas as he said this, and the angel looked back at him, utterly baffled. _Beeswax? What does that have to do with anything?_

Dean strode over to him. “So, Cas, would you do me the honors of helping me put up some of my ornaments?” Dean asked carefully, setting his box down on the table. 

Cas peered into it to find dozens of ornaments in smaller boxes. The boxes each had the name of a different city on them, from all over the country. He heard an almost inaudible _awww_ and a squeal from across the table but he couldn’t tell who they came from.

“Uh, s-sure, Dean.” Cas said, grabbing an ornament that had a picture of the Gateway Arch from St. Louis. Dean blushed as he went for the same ornament, their fingers brushing.

“Dean, since when do you have ornaments?” Sam asked incredulously. Dean put a hand behind his neck as he glared at his brother.

“Don’t you dare call me a sap, Sammy, but I like to collect ornaments from some of the towns we go to.” Dean fiddled with the ribbon on a Route 66 ornament. “It’s stupid, I know, especially since we don’t usually celebrate Christmas. I should probably just put them away.” He reached for the box.

“Hell no, Dean, that’s amazing! And don’t worry, I have a couple personal ornaments in my room, too. Let me go grab them!” Charlie said, skipping down the hall. When she arrived at her room, she jumped at the sight of a trench coated angel sitting on her bed, looking at his hands.

“What’s up, buttercup?” Charlie asked as nonchalantly as she could. She reached for her Hello Kitty bag, but a hand on her arm and some pleading eyes from Cas stopped her. “Cas?”

Cas looked at her. “Charlie, what are you hiding?”

Charlie stopped, her brain short circuiting. Before she could stumble through an answer, Cas plowed on. “You’ve been acting really weird, and I can’t help but notice that you and Sam have been sharing some particularly worrying looks.” Charlie breathed a silent sigh of relief. Cas hadn’t figured out her and Sam’s plan. _Yet._

“Well-uh-listen, Cas, Christmas is something I used to do with my parents. Like, every year, we’d go all out, with lights and caroling and milk and cookies-“ Charlie smiled wistfully, lost in a different time. She sniffled once before continuing. “And you know how Sam is, all ‘let’s talk about our feelings’ all the time, and so I told him about it and how lonely I’ve been every Christmas since they died. I’m just so happy to be sharing the most wonderful time of the year with my found family that it gets to be a little much sometimes, you know?” 

Charlie was satisfied beyond relief at the lie. 

Well, the kinda-lie.

(Who was she kidding, it was the God honest truth, but not in the context of what Cas was asking, so she was still proud of her quick thinking.)

Cas smiled sweetly at her, patting her knee gently. “I’m happy to be sharing it with my family too, Charlie. I know exactly how you feel.” Cas stood up and wiped non-existent dirt off of his trench coat. “Well, I’d better head back out. I told the brothers I had some ornaments to hang, which I don’t.” 

Charlie smiled and held up her pointer finger. She rummaged around in her bag and grabbed a small pasta angel she had made when she was a child. She handed it to Cas, his nimble fingers taking the creation with care.

“I made it when I was younger, it can be your ornament.” Cas smiled at this, studying the angel from every angle. 

“Thank you, Charlie.” With a _whoosh_ of wings, Charlie was alone in the room.

__

When Charlie wandered back into the war room, Dean was apparently trying to impress a very grumpy looking Sam in a crooked Santa hat and a wide-eyed Cas by singing an awful rendition of _Santa Baby_. Sam brightened when he saw Charlie, and Dean moved on to swaying and humming as he took some more of his ornaments and hung them on the tree. 

“You see Cas?” Sam asked, his voice low to avoid anybody overhearing.

Charlie nodded. “Nothing I couldn’t handle, Samuel, you should give me more credit.” Sam chuckled.

The song changed, some bells and piano notes floating through the speakers.

“IIIIIIIIIII-“ Dean sang from somewhere behind them, and when they turned around, they saw Dean singing to a very uncomfortable looking Cas with a nutcracker ornament as a microphone.

“Dean, please stop,” Cas pleaded. Sam just rolled his eyes and plugged his ears, because _oh God, here it comes._

“-Don’t want a lot for Christmas. Therreee is just one thing IIII neeeeeed.” Dean sang, moving his arms dramatically. “I don’t care about the presents, underneath the Christmas tree.” Dean gestured to the Christmas tree. “I just want you for my own, moooore than you could ever know.” Dean sang, sashaying around the room with apparently no shame. Charlie reached for the speaker and turned up the volume until it she could almost see the sound waves vibrating through the air, rattling their teeth.

“Make my wish come trueeeeeeee. Aaaaaall I want for Christmaaaaasss-“ Dean stopped prematurely for a breath.

“-iiiiiiiiiiiiis...youuuuuuuuuuu.” He leveled a finger at Cas, and as the beat changed, he climbed up onto the table and began to dance ridiculously. 

The realization hit mid-Snoopy dance.

 _Holy shit._ Did he just sing “All I Want For Christmas Is You” to _Cas?_ Castiel, the angel? 

Dean nearly fell off the table.

The next time the chorus came around, Dean made sure to non-suspiciously point at Charlie or Sam, the latter still putting his hands over his ears in an (ineffective) effort to block out Dean’s singing. Charlie just went along with it, jumping on the table with Dean and doing a jig with him, happier than Dean had seen her in a long time. Cas just stood there, his toe tapping on the floor as he watched Dean with a gaze that could only be described as tender.

When they each said their good nights after some more singing, dancing, and whiskey (the two former coming mostly from Charlie and Dean, the latter consumed in copious amounts by the elder Winchester alone), Dean laid awake in his bed contemplating exactly _why_ he had done what he did.

He liked Cas, sure. The angel was his best friend.

_So why the hell is he on your Christmas list?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dean’s Mariah Karaoke is pretty good, huh? Who woulda thunk it? ;)


	4. A Baker’s Dozen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dean and Cas have been assigned to make...cookies?

_**December 18** _

  
"Do you guys get it?" Sam asked, his voice full of hope. 

Dean nodded confidently, and Cas just looked lost. "Sam, I'm not sure it's the best idea to-"

"Oh shush, Cas, you guys'll be fine. Sam and I are just gonna put up some lights outside, so if anything catches on fire or explodes, we'll be right here." Charlie said, edging towards the kitchen door. She didn’t have to say _a safe distance away from the blast zone._ “Besides, you guys are grown men, you'll figure it out."

Dean grabbed Charlie's arm to keep her from ditching it into the hallway. "Okay, first of all, this is supposed to be a hidden base, so I don't think we should have lights outside, because it could lead literally _anything_ to us and we'd just have a plate of cookies waiting. B, I'm the chef of the house, so I got this under control. And three, you guys should at least tell us why you want _Cas_ of all people in the kitchen." Dean turned to Cas. "No offense, man." Cas shrugged. 

"Dean, just bake the damn cookies." Charlie glared at Dean, then Cas, and the two immediately backed off. 

"Yes, ma'am." 

Dean had never made cookies before. Ever. 

Cas had never made _anything_ before. Ever. So this was going to be interesting. 

"What kind should we start with?" Dean asked, looking through his phone.

Cas shrugged as he pulled flour down from the shelves lining the kitchen walls. "Probably chocolate chip, since that's the most basic one." Cas paused, his eyebrows pulling together, signalling he was deep in thought. "Do you find it odd that we have all the supplies we need for baking? We rarely have any food here besides bacon and alcohol."

Dean squinted at his phone, poking at it with his pointer finger. "Dude, this whole situation is suspicious. Charlie and Sam are obviously up to something, but who gives a crap, because we get to make cookies!" Dean looked up at the angel and the counter that now had every ingredient needed for chocolate chip cookies. "And don't diss my bacon and booze, it ain't never done me wrong."

Cas shrugged again, looking completely petrified of the ingredients covering the counter. "Dean, wh-?" Cas asked, his voice small. 

Dean looked at him with soft eyes, and noticed he was scared. Dean contemplated going over to give Cas a hug, and almost did, but that would certainly be a non-platonic, non-bro thing to do, so he settled for humor. "Oh, c'mon Cas, they're just cookies, they won't bite. Worst thing that can happen is they don't taste good."

Cas’ eyes widened. "I can't taste anything, Dean, I just eat the particles. Why am I here?"

Cas was obviously having a panic attack, asking existential questions like that. Maybe talking about the worst case scenario was not the best way to go. Dean rubbed a hand over his face. 

"Listen, Cas, you're here so I can teach you how to make some delicious cookies. And baking them is the fun part, or so I've heard." Cas relaxed at this, then looked at Dean with a smile. 

"Where do we begin, Dean?"

Dean considered this. "Dude, I have no freaking clue. Let's Google it."

Charlie and Sam were giggling like teenage girls at a sleepover. (Charlie's giggle was more of a cackle, and it scared Sam a little bit, but he was too absorbed in his own fit of laughter to really care.)

"Do you think they'll have their gay awakening in the kitchen? Slow dancing together with a bottle of wine?" Charlie asked, slapping her knee. Sam had only seen people do that in movies, but it fit Charlie’s mood perfectly.

"I'll bet you ten bucks they make out on the counter and one of them ends up setting the other on fire!" Sam said, wheezing a little bit.

Charlie leaned back and belly laughed, her chest vibrating as her laughs echoed through the tree surrounding them. "Okay, okay." She wiped a tear from her eye. "We should probably _actually_ put some lights up so they don't get suspicious." 

Sam stopped laughing and looked at Charlie, baffled. "We don't have any lights, Charlie."

Charlie blanched. "That's the one thing I didn't bring, dude! You guys are supposed to have lights!" She blew a strand of fiery hair out of her face, then smirked as an idea came to mind. "I guess we have to go into town to get some. Leave the boys to their _baking_." 

Sam grinned, and the two rushed off towards Charlie's car. 

"Slug bug!" Charlie cried, and tackled Sam to the ground to punch him.

Dean shook his hips left and right as he bent over to preheat the oven. "Three seventy five, right, Cas?" He looked over his shoulder just in time to see the angel quickly moving his head to look at the recipe. 

_Was Cas...checking him out?_

Before he could delve deep into overthinking that thought, Cas nodded in answer to his earlier question. "Three seventy five. I'll start on the dry ingredients, I guess." 

Dean hummed in agreement and pressed the buttons to preheat their oven. He stood up and turned around, leaning on the counter. Dean was about to say something about mixing the wet ingredients (with a smirk, because he has the dirty mind of a middle schooler) when his eyes widened. 

"Cas! No!" 

Too late. 

Cas had upended the whole bag of flour into the bowl, causing a cloud of white to engulf the kitchen. Dean coughed, waving his hand in front of his face to clear the air.

"I think I added too much flour." Cas said seriously, giving Dean a deer in the headlights look. 

Dean let out a mirthful laugh, and Cas looked at him with sparkling azure eyes. The flour was starting to settle, most of it on Cas. His black hair was a dark grey under the powder, and he had some on his cheeks. Both of their shirts were completely covered in white, and when Cas chuckled a cloud of flour lifted off of his chest. 

Dean looked into his eyes, flour spotting his face with even more freckles than usual. Cas could feel the energy of the room change (to what, he didn't know), and his heart picked up speed when Dean took a hesitant step forward. Cas sucked in a breath when Dean's hands lifted up to cup the angel's face, his rough palms taking in Cas' jawline and his thumbs resting right beneath Cas' eyes. Cas could practically hear the hunter's heart beating over the sound of his ragged breathing. 

Dean was still looking into Cas' eyes, with obsidian pupils almost overtaking forest irises. Cas licked his lips involuntarily, and when Dean’s eyes followed the movement, Cas could feel a heat uncurling deep in his gut. Dean looked back into Cas' eyes, leaning forward, his movements infinitely small and slow. Cas could hear his heart pounding in his ears, and he was about to close his eyes (he didn’t know why, but he was just mirroring the hunter) when Dean stopped moving. 

"Y-you got some, uh- s-some flour on your face." Dean said, his voice low and a little hoarse. He cleared his throat as he rubbed his thumbs over Cas' cheekbones, the ghost of a touch _just_ enough to clear the powder away and give Cas goosebumps. 

Dean took a couple steps back, putting a safe, _platonic_ distance between himself and Cas. Cas let go of a breath he hadn't known he'd been holding, a long, steady exhale through his nose. Dean barked out a small laugh, rubbing his hand on the back of his neck.

"Well, that is most definitely not how you measure flour, Cas. Let me show you."

When Sam and Charlie returned to the kitchen, utterly exhausted from their impromptu trip to town, putting up the lights, and maniacal scheming, they both stopped short at the threshold to the kitchen. 

Cas was sitting on the counter, which was covered in white (it looked like powder, _thank God)_ , his legs swinging back and forth as he whisked a bowl full of something. His eyes were tracking Dean as the elder Winchester twirled around the kitchen with a pan of cookies and an oven mitt in one hand and a single cookie in the other. Charlie and Sam shared a grin as Cas laughed when Dean hit his hip on the counter. 

"How's it going in here, boys?" Charlie asked as she entered the room. She made a beeline for the small table, which was covered in different kinds of cookies. 

Dean stopped twirling to take a bite of his cookie. "'Tis great, m'lady." He said, a mouthful of crumbs tumbling out of his mouth. Cas and Sam wrinkled their noses in unison. 

"Dean made chocolate chip, Andes mint, peanut butter, and sugar cookies, and he's making bisco-" Cas squinted at Dean's phone "-bisco...cheetos?"

Dean let out a hearty laugh. "It's 'biscochitos', Cas." He walked over to Cas to stick his finger in the bowl he was mixing, coming away with a fingertip full of cookie dough. As he licked his finger, Cas flushed. "Also, _we_ made all these different kinds of cookies, as in us two, together."

Sam smiled. "That's good to hear. Now, what happened to the counter?"

Cas shifted uncomfortably. "I am not an expert baker." 

Dean exhaled loudly. "That's for sure." He said under his breath, moving to put his pan of cookies into the oven. 

Sam looked over to Charlie to see her with at least two cookies in her mouth and three more in her hands. She looked at Dean and Cas in awe. 

"Dudes, these are _fantastic._ Some of the best cookies I have ever had in my entire life. You guys are officially the bakers for every Christmas from here on out."

Dean looked up at Cas with a mix of affection and pride swirling on his face. Cas returned the look, staring at Dean like he hung the moon.

"We do make a pretty good team, huh?" Dean said, his voice sounding far away. They continued to stare at each other for a couple heart beats, completely oblivious to the rest of the room.

Charlie ruined the moment with a moan from behind them as she bit into another cookie. 

“Charlie, you’re going to rot your teeth, and then you’ll have to go to Garth’s dentistry place!” Sam cried, feeling very scandalized that everyone in the room would choose cookies over vegetables. 

“Oh, shut the hell up and try one, Sammy!” Dean said (before Charlie could say something more vulgar), breaking his eyes away from Cas as the timer went off for the oven.

Sam huffed, and rolled his eyes as he reached for a cookie. His eyes widened as he sunk his teeth into it. 

“Wow. It’s actually edible.” Sam managed to choke out, trying to avoid making some of the love noises Charlie was making at her cookie, because it was a freaking _delicacy._

Dean gave Cas a high five, and a cloud of powder rose up from where their hands met. If Cas held on for a little bit longer than he needed to, Dean was the only one that noticed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So our two favorite idiots made some of my favorite Christmas cookies.  
> Chocolate chip (obviously)  
> Andes Mint (just devils food cake mix cookies with some Andes mint melted on top, it’s a chocoholic’s heaven)  
> Peanut butter (bc duh, peanut butter cookies)  
> Sugar cookies (frosting them is so much fun, especially if you use cookie cutters)  
> Biscochitos (a traditional Mexican/New Mexican Christmas cookie, y’all should look them up they’re delicious)


	5. I See It, I Like It, I Want It, I Got It

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Charlie and Sam take Dean and Cas to town for Christmas shopping!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WHEW everyone please enjoy this (semi-filler) chapter because I’m STRESSING.
> 
> IAmSorry__sendmeaprompt~I stopped reading *you know what* after the first chapter, you should be proud. Also I seriously can’t thank you enough for the fluff; from now on I’m reading it whenever I begin to lose my mind:)

**_December 19_ **

“No. I refuse.”

“C’mon, Dean, you love _Mean Girls_ and you know it.” Charlie said.

“Let me be clear. _Mean Girls_ is not the problem, your car and God awful driving are what I’m disagreeing to.”

Charlie had pulled up to the front of the bunker in her VW Bug and threw the door open with a “Get in bitches, we’re going shopping.”

(Dean had groaned, Sam had laughed, and Cas had squinted at each of them in turn because he “didn’t understand that reference.”)

"Dean, get in the car." Charlie said through gritted teeth. The smile pasted on her face was intimidating in its sweetness, giving Dean some major _kill 'em with kindness_ vibes. 

Dean shook his head and crossed his arms. "I am not riding in that poor excuse of a car. I'm taking my Baby or not going at all." Charlie bounced back against the seat and let out a breath of frustration. 

"Fine, but you totally ruined my badass Regina George moment. Thanks a lot for that." Charlie huffed as she put her car in reverse and parked it back by a small clearing. Sam punched Dean on the arm, and Dean was actually surprised by the amount of force behind the punch. 

"You couldn't have just gone with it, dude? Seriously, she's _Charlie_." 

Dean _barely_ refrained from slugging Sam in the face, and settled for sticking his tongue out at his (taller) younger brother. 

"It shouldn't be of import which car we take, just as long as we get there." Cas said, rocking back on his heels and forward on his toes with his hands in his pockets as he studied a small patch of grass (with what looked like great interest). 

"Whatever, we're taking Baby whether you like it or not." Dean rolled his eyes at the angel. 

Charlie had rejoined the group in time to hear what Dean had said. "I don't like it." She mumbled, crossing her arms over her vintage Dungeons & Dragons shirt. "Let's get this show on the road, idiots."

When they arrived in town, it was bustling with people. Mothers carried crying children along the sidewalk, men in business suits stalked their ways into bars, and groups of teenagers sauntered about like they owned the place and weren't about to do something stupid. A couple of people whistled at their car when Dean drove by, and Dean winked at them. (Though, the whistling was probably for Baby.) 

He maneuvered Baby into a parking spot at the crowded mall, which was decorated for the holiday season. He put her in park and cooed at her, rubbing her steering wheel. "Great job, Baby, way to go."

"I think you have an unhealthy relationship with your car." Charlie said, looking _incredibly_ disturbed. "I saw it on _My Strange Addiction_ one time, this dude had a sexual relationship with his car." Dean immediately stopped caressing Baby's steering wheel.

"Uh, Charlie, what the hell?" Sam asked, eyes practically bulging out of his head like a cartoon character. Charlie shrugged, as if to say _it was the only thing on._

"Shhh, Baby, don't listen to them." Dean said as he opened the driver's side door. He turned back to the other occupants in the car and rolled his eyes. "C’mon, let’s get this over with."

Cas wasn't really sure what to expect. Maybe a shopper here and there, a bunch of shops inside a building (no different than a main street in a small town, really.)

When he got through the entrance of the mall, he stopped short. 

The mall was two stories tall, shops lining either side of the open walkway. There were vendors in the middle of the walkway, selling toys and electronics to passersby. And the _people._ Cas was already starting to feel mildly claustrophobic, and he was standing in the entrance. No doubt the rest of the mall was going to be _hell_. (He had been to Hell multiple times, and felt this was a necessary comparison.)

"Alrighty, comrades, let's get our shop on!" Charlie squealed, obviously enjoying this way too much. She and Sam exchanged a glance, then she grabbed Dean by the arm and began to lead him away. "I'll take Dean, you guys go off and enjoy yourselves! We'll meet back at the car at 6?" Charlie didn't wait for an answer as she whisked a complaining Dean into the sea of people. 

Sam and Cas watched until her vibrant red hair was nowhere to be seen, then began to wander along one of the sides of the walkway. 

"Charles!" Dean barked from outside a dressing room curtain. "I'm not getting any younger out here!" 

Charlie flipped him off from over the top of the curtain before waltzing out in a pair of jeans and army boots that looked the same as every other pair of jeans and army boots she had tried on in the past hour. "I really like these jeans, Dean." She did a squat, checking out her butt in a full length mirror. "Whaddya think? Good enough for hunter stuff?"

Dean sighed. "Whatever, Char, I have no idea what the difference between these jeans and the last pair is, so go with whatever makes you feel like a badass." Charlie scoffed at Dean before checking the mirror one last time with a nod. 

"I think these'll do, I'm getting major badass vibes. Except they make _my_ ass look good, so that's always a plus." Charlie sashayed back into the dressing room and began to change back into her original clothes. She glanced at her phone and saw a text notification from Sam. 

**The Gigantor: How's it going, Charlie? Find anything yet?**

Charlie twirled a lock of hair around her finger as she typed a message back with one hand. 

**Charlie: nothing yet, i'll talk to him rn. wbu? cas find anything good?**

Charlie emerged from the dressing room to see Dean inspecting something on a shelf across the store. Her back pocket buzzed as she hung up one of the pairs of jeans she wasn't going to buy. 

**The Gigantor: He found something Dean will really like, I think. I'll keep you updated :)**

Charlie grinned, happy her plan was working. 

**Charlie: same here:))**

"What's up, Dean-o?" Charlie asked as she approached Dean. The hunter jumped at the sound of her voice. 

"Oh, uh, nothing I-I just found something Cas might like." Dean said, putting a hand to the back of his neck. Charlie glanced at where he was looking and let out a squeal. 

"Dean! That's perfect! You should totally get it for him!"

The pajama pants in front of them were a deep blue with little cartoon bees all over. The bees had dots coming from behind them to signify that they were flying.

It was too damn cute and perfect for Dean _not_ to buy. 

So he walked up to the counter, handed over the super soft bee pajama pants like a man, and then promptly provided one of the credit cards Charlie had given them that one time.

Then, the deed was done. Dean was now the owner of bumble bee pajama pants, and he was pretty damn proud he managed to buy them with his dignity intact. 

Charlie sighed dreamily when he sauntered back over to her, his knuckles white from clutching the velvety string of his bag. “Dean, Cas is going to love them!”

Dean smiled as he looked into the bag. One of the bees was smiling back at him. “Yeah, yeah I think he will.”

“Sam, why do I need to buy Dean more than one present?” Cas asked, glancing at the younger Winchester.

Sam sighed as he wrapped the string of a sweatshirt hoodie around his pointer finger. “It’s a Christmas thing, man. People buy multiple gifts for the love of their lives to show how much they appreciate them.” Sam stopped, and looked at Cas with wide eyes as all the color drained from his face.

Cas squinted at Sam. “The love of their li-“

“Ummmm-Dean will definitely like this, don’t you think?”

Cas looked at what Sam was holding in his hands. “Yeah, I think he will, but you said-“

“Oh look! It’s on sale! I’ll buy it, a-and it can be from you!” Sam said, fiddling with the object in his hands as he (totally not suspiciously) glanced everywhere but Cas.

“O-okay. But Sam-“ Cas was cut off when Sam hurried away towards the registers.

“-I already got the love of my life a present.” Cas said to nobody in particular, raising the hand that held a box wrapped in white wrapping paper with a small green bow. 

“Did y’all find what you’re looking for?” A young woman no older than twenty asked as Dean and Charlie walked out the main doors of the mall. The duo smiled and nodded, lifting arms laden with shopping bags in response.

“I already finished my Christmas shopping, so most of this stuff can be from you, ‘kay?” Charlie whispered to Dean as they approached the Impala.

Dean looked confused. “Dude, I bought most of this stuff anyways.”

“With my credit card!” Charlie retorted, setting her bags down with a _thump_.

“With your _stolen_ credit card!” Dean practically yelled, his words echoing dangerously through the parking lot.

“Are you guys alright?” Cas asked as he walked towards the door of the car, his face scrunched up in concern. 

“Definitely!” Dean and Charlie answered back at the same time, way too brightly to be definitely okay.

“Can you guys open the trunk? My arms are hurting.” Sam said from behind them, his voice tired. Dean turned around and was assaulted with the image of his sasquatch brother with his arms full of bags and boxes.

“Sure thing, just let me put my stuff in there first.” Dean said, taking his sweet time finding the key to the trunk and opening it. He then began to slowly ( _veeeery_ slowly) load his bags and miscellaneous packages into Baby’s trunk.

“Dean, for the love of God!” Sam exclaimed, shoving his brother out of the way and dropping his stuff. “Jesus Christ, you’re lucky you're my brother, or you would’ve been dead a long time ago.”

Charlie snorted. “Agreed.”

The last of the packages had been loaded, and Dean turned to Cas (and completely ignored his brother and Charlie).

“Anything to add, sunshine?” 

_Again with the sunshine. What the hell?_

Charlie grinned as she elbowed Sam harder than necessary in the stomach. Dean watched this play out in his peripheral vision, but when Sam leaned over to listen to Charlie whisper something into his ear, he just rolled his eyes.

The two were like freaking gossipy teenagers, and it was getting annoying as hell.

Cas blushed when Dean looked at him, and he sheepishly handed over a box wrapped in white wrapping paper with a little green bow. “Please be careful with it, it’s...fragile.” Cas said, before opening the door to the Impala and hurriedly getting in the back seat.

Charlie and Sam continued their teenage-girls-at-a-sleepover routine into the car, which allowed Dean to take a little peek at the package Cas had handed him. 

It was pretty basic department store wrapping, but one thing stood out to Dean right before he set the gift down.

There, on a cream colored tag hanging off of the green bow, was one word written in beautifully familiar handwriting.

**_Dean_ **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If anybody has any other ideas for presents between our two favorite idiots (or even Sam and Charlie), please leave a comment and I’ll do my best to incorporate it somehow.
> 
> You guys are awesome! I hope you know that :)


	6. I Brought Me Some Corn For Poppin’

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> MOVIE NIGHT!!!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Y’all know how parents aren’t allowed to have favorite kids?  
> Yeah, well, this is one of my favorites so far. So please enjoy:))

_**December 20** _

  
Really, Dean should’ve seen it coming.

Charlie had ordered them pizza from a local place at four o'clock in the afternoon, which was absurdly early for dinner, in Dean's professional opinion. They ate in silence, everybody scarfing down their chosen dishes. Cas even nibbled on one of Charlie's Hawaiian slices (which were actually really good, but Dean would never allow himself to admit it) as Sam chomped down on his salad like an overgrown bunny rabbit. 

"Do you and your pizza need a room?" Sam said through a mouth full of lettuce as Dean looked at his fourth meat lover's slice with adoration. 

Charlie snickered. "Look, his pupils are practically turning into little hearts just staring at it!" She pursed her lips and her body began to shake with stifled laughter. "That's what she-he-they said!" She let out a snort, then slapped one hand on the table as she threw her head back with an obnoxious laugh.

Sam groaned. "Seriously, Charlie, what are you, in middle school?" Dean just laughed and gave her a high five. 

Cas squinted at each of them. "Who are we talking about and why would they say-"

"Anyways! I want everybody to meet me in the Dean-cave when you're done eating! I have a surprise!" Charlie said cheerfully, interrupting the confused angel. She immediately got up from the table and took off down the hall, Sam close on her heels. 

Dean sighed at his pizza as he set it down on a plate and patted his stomach. "Let's go, amigo." 

"But Dean, who was Charlie talking about and why would they sa-" Cas was interrupted when Dean held up a hand. 

"Two words: Pizza. Man." Dean said as he walked down the hall. Cas stopped abruptly as realization dawned on him. _I thought we weren't supposed to talk about it. Why would they talk about that while eating dinner?_

Dean turned the corner into the self-proclaimed _Dean-cave_ , the bunker's own game and movie room. As he walked through the threshold, about to say something about how dark it was in the room, he was hit in the face with something. 

"The hell?" Dean exclaimed, readying himself for an attack from any number of monsters. He got hit again in the stomach, but this time he managed to grab whatever was hitting him. It was soft, light, and smelled like fabric softener.

_A pillow?_

"Pillow fight!" Charlie screeched through the dark, bringing another pillow down on Dean's back. Sam assaulted Cas with a pillow as the angel let out a string of obscenities that made Dean proud.

"Oh, it's on!" Dean shouted, swinging around wildly with his pillow until he felt it connect with something. He heard a _oof_ , then he felt a _thwap_ on his side in retaliation. 

"Suck it, Winchester!" Charlie said from behind Dean, so he turned around and threw himself at her, tackling her into the couch. He straddled her waist with his legs and began to tickle her mercilessly, tightening his grip on her when she began to wiggle and gasp for air.

"Dean!" 

_Wait. That wasn't Charlie._

Dean heard a switch flip, then blinked a few times in the bright light that suddenly engulfed the room. As soon as his eyes adjusted, they widened in surprise. 

Below him was not a red-headed woman. Below him was a dark haired angel. 

Cas' hair was ruffled wildly from his wiggling, framing his face that had only the slightest flush on his cheekbones. His bright blue eyes were almost totally engulfed in his pupils, but Dean was sure that was just them adjusting to the newly lit room. Cas sucked in a sharp breath and began to squirm underneath Dean. 

"Shit, sorry Cas." Dean said, his face on fire. He wasn't sure why, but he was a little reluctant to climb off the angel, so he just stayed straddling Cas' waist with his thighs. Cas' hips bucked slightly, almost involuntarily, but that was just because he was trying to get comfortable with another person's full body weight on top of him. 

_Right?_

Sam cleared his throat loudly from behind them to cover up an audible gasp from Charlie. 

Dean shook his head to clear his rapidly clouding brain and scrambled off of Cas. He was completely sure the barely-there whine he heard from the other man as Dean climbed off him was a figment of his imagination. 

Everybody avoided looking at each other for a good thirty seconds.

"Christmas movie time!" Charlie said suddenly into the void of awkward silence. Her hair was sticking up randomly at crazy angles from being smacked with a pillow, and combined with the bright red color, her head looked like it was on fire. "I made popcorn and bought snacks at the store yesterday, so we just need to decide on a movie!"

After a heated argument in which Sam insisted they watch _Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer,_ Charlie listed the reasons why they should watch _Love Actually,_ and Dean adamantly explained why _Die Hard_ and _Home Alone_ were the best Christmas movies to ever exist, Cas became the deciding vote. 

Cas had never seen a Christmas movie before, but _Die Hard_ sounded a little too violent to be a movie to watch at Christmastime. 

_Love Actually_ literally had the word _love_ in the title, and after the pillow fight incident, Cas wasn't sure he was ready for that particular story. 

"Cas, you know we can watch more than one movie, right?" Charlie said, her voice hopeful as she snacked on a cookie. "We're grown ups, we're allowed to stay up past ten." 

Sam rolled his eyes. "Speak for yourself." He grumbled, earning a sharp look from Charlie and a piece of popcorn launched at his head from Dean. 

"Let's start off with _Home Alone_ , then we can move on to the one about the reindeer with the abnormally colored nose." Cas decided, and the other three nodded as they bustled around the kitchen collecting snacks and drinks. 

"Our first movie night!" Charlie sighed dreamily, and she high fived Sam. 

"That's my chair, bitch!" 

"Deal with it, jerk, just sit on the couch." 

Dean pouted at Sam, hoping he would change his mind and sit next to Cas on the love seat (heh) and let Dean sit in his favorite recliner (it had a cup holder for his drinks). 

Sam just shook his head and reclined, letting out a sigh of content that was louder than a sigh of content had any right to be.

_Asshole._

Dean huffed aggressively (it was _thiiis_ close to being a growl) and crossed his arms to give them something to do other than throttling his brother. He sat down next to the angel, placing a bowl of popcorn in between his and Cas’ leg to keep a comfortable, _platonic_ distance between them. 

Charlie gestured at the TV with the remote, then wiggled to get comfortable in the charcoal beanbag chair she had convinced Dean into buying for her. (She had wanted a rainbow one, but Dean had determined that if there was going to be a freaking _beanbag_ in his Dean-cave, it would have to be a neutral color.)

As the opening notes to the _Home Alone_ theme song began, Dean instinctively stretched his arm over the back of the couch, his hand barely reaching the other side of Cas' head. Cas straightened his back as he felt the tips of Dean's fingers on the back of his neck, but then he settled back into the couch and popped some popcorn in his mouth. 

This was going to be fun.

  
  


After _Rudolph_ , Sam got up and stretched his back, saying he would see everyone the following day.

Charlie excitedly suggested they watch _Frosty the Snowman_ (which was Cas' favorite, because of the magician's rabbit, the greenhouse, and the children), then about halfway through proceeded to fall asleep, snoring softly. Dean smirked at Cas, then walked over and shook her shoulder to wake her up. 

"Charles, up and at 'em. Let's get you to bed." Dean said softly. 

Charlie woke up with a start, then stretched like a cat as she looked around the room. "Mmmmmm. Morning, Dean-o." 

Dean chuckled and ruffled Charlie's hair. "Morning, kiddo. Time to go to bed." 

Charlie nodded as Dean helped lift her up from the beanbag. "'Night, Cas." She mumbled as she shuffled sleepily back to her room. Dean chuckled again and sat down next to Cas. 

They finished watching _Frosty the Snowman_ , and since neither were ready to go to bed (or leave each other’s company), they decided to watch _National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation._

Out of the corner of his eye, Cas saw Dean nodding off, his head lulling back onto the couch and then snapping back up. 

"Dean?" Cas asked softly, and the hunter turned to him with drooping eyelids. 

"Hey, Cas." Dean said sleepily, his mouth barely opening. He lazily dropped his eyes to Cas’ lap and Cas could feel his face heat up. "D'you mind?" 

Cas' eyes widened at the implication of the question, but Dean didn't wait for an answer and began shifting his body,

"Dean, I-oh! Oh." Cas said as Dean laid his head down on Cas' lap, looking up at the angel's face. Dean moved his legs until his knees were hanging over the arm of the love seat. 

Cas fussed with his hands, shifting himself to both get Dean comfortable and to hide the rapidly rising heat between his legs. "My-my legs probably aren't very comfortable, do you want-"

Dean waved his hand sluggishly. "It's comfy, and it's a beautiful view." Dean mumbled, barely awake, gazing at Cas with soft eyes. Cas smiled down at the hunter. 

"Goodnight, Dean. Sleep well." Cas said, reaching for the remote to turn the volume on the TV down. He tensed when he felt a hand on his cheek, and he looked down at Dean. 

"'Night, my angel." Dean slurred, already asleep when his hand dropped to his side. Cas chuckled and watched as the boy on the TV dumped some (hopefully plastic) reindeer on his front lawn.

Cas played with Dean's dirty blonde hair until the movie stopped playing, then turned off the TV. He took one last glance at how peaceful Dean looked, his eyes closed, lips parted, and then flew them to Dean's room. Cas was standing next to Dean’s bed, where he had placed the hunter.

"Goodnight, Dean." Cas whispered as he brushed some hair out of Dean's face. Dean smiled softly in his sleep and mumbled something along the lines of _g’night, sweetheart._ (Cas couldn’t tell.)

Cas may or may not have laid a kiss on Dean's forehead before he walked out of the hunter's room and closed the door.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Updates soon!!  
> Thank you all for the support! It means a lot <3


	7. Baby, It’s Cold Outside

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Well, damn, Cas, I can’t control the weather!”  
> In which Charlie takes the boys ice skating.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First of all, thank each and every one of you for all the kudos and comments! You guys have made finals bearable:)  
> Second, I really had fun writing this chapter! It’s short and sweet, so please enjoy!  
> Also warnings for a wee bit (just a smidgen) of internalized homophobia, only because Dean is a disaster bi.

**_December 21_ **

"Remind me to never trust you again, Charlie!"

"Oh shut up, Sam, just keep your balance!" Charlie called over her shoulder at the abnormally large man who was gripping the side of the ice skating rink with knuckles that matched the color of the ice. 

_Somehow,_ Charlie had managed to convince the three boys that ice skating would be something fun to do. (They "save people, hunt things, and stop apocalypses all the freaking time" and should be able to handle some "cheesy, chick-flicky, clichè Christmas crap.")

They were not handling it well. 

Sam had taken one step on the ice and fell on his ass, eliciting a laugh from both his "friends" (he wasn't really sure anymore) and some nearby spectators that were skating by (literally). Dean had made it all the way to the edge of the ice before realizing how extremely ‘girly’ ice skating was, and he took off towards the benches on the side of the rink, mumbling something about Elsa and _freaking Canadians_. Cas couldn't even figure out how to put the skates on and sat next to Dean, quietly observing the people laughing and smiling as they drifted across the ice. 

Apparently, Charlie did this every year with Dorothy in Oz, so she was pretty damn good at it, skating circles around Sam as she laughed at his misfortune. 

"No, it's not about that. They're not even skating!" Sam stage whispered at Charlie as he stood up on sea legs, and when he began to fall (again) Charlie caught on to his arms and gently guided him away from the wall. 

"They aren't, no, but they're spending time together. We should go try to convince them to use the little walker thingies." Charlie said, leading Sam towards the edge of the rink near where Cas and Dean were sitting. 

"Charles, you are one crazy chick." Dean called as soon as the two were in earshot, and Cas caught Charlie's stare with sad eyes before dropping it in favor of his holy tax accountant shoes. 

"I may be crazy, but _I'm_ not the one who won't even try something new, Dean-o." Charlie pointed out as a kid no older than seven stepped onto the ice. "Look at that little dude over there. He's skating with a walker thing, but at least he's _trying_ and not sitting here like a grinch!"

Dean glared at Charlie for a minute, and Charlie glared right back. 

"But I'm keeping Cas company, huh, Cas?" Dean said, elbowing Cas in the arm and refusing to drop Charlie’s gaze. The angel looked up and nodded, as if to say _more or less_. 

"Dean Michael Winchester, if you don't help your angel get his skates on and then get both of your sorry asses on the ice in the next five minutes, I will slaughter you." Charlie said, her tone implying that she would indeed slaughter them and then laugh about it with her grandchildren.

Cas' eyes widened at the 'your angel' comment. 

Dean's cheeks turned red, and not from the cold. 

Four minutes and fifty three seconds later, Dean and Cas stepped onto the ice, both with death grips on their walkers. 

"I feel like an old man." Dean grumbled, and Cas reached out to pat his shoulder. 

That was not one of his better ideas. 

Cas could feel his skates slipping out from underneath him, and looked at Dean with fearful eyes before he fell gracelessly (too soon?), the world around him seeming to slow down. Dean reached out to catch him, but let go of his walker at the same time, and ended up falling right next to Cas. Cas winced as he hit the ice on his back, and looked over at Dean, who had grabbed his hand to try to keep them both upright.

"Shit! Are you okay?" Dean asked, sitting up quickly enough that he fell back down. 

"I'm fine, are you alright?" Cas responded, using a combination of Dean's shoulder and his walker to stand up. He grabbed Dean's hand again and lifted the hunter up with his angel strength. 

"I'm gonna murder Charlie." Dean mumbled. He didn't let go of Cas' hand as he pushed off the ice again towards the wall, bringing Cas along behind him. 

“I think murdering your friends is not a viable option, Dean.” Cas said, just the slightest hint of sarcasm painting his voice. Dean turned around in surprise, staring slack-jawed at the angel for a minute before regaining his composure and smirking.

“You don’t even _know_ how many times I’ve wanted to murder you, sunshine.”

Cas blanched, then looked down at the ice below his feet. He looked back up at Dean with...hurt in his eyes?

_Wait, what?_

Dean immediately backtracked, throwing his crazy train of thought into reverse. “It’s a joke, Cas. Innuendo.” _Shit_. That didn’t sound any better.

Cas’ eyes widened comically, but that was nothing compared to how much his pupils dilated.

Dean cleared his throat (awkwardly, but he was trying extremely hard [heh] not to think about the problem making itself known between his legs). “Anyways, do you want to try again?”

Cas nodded, his head moving up and down like he was a bobble head. 

Dean only realized he was still holding the angel’s hand when the latter’s grip tightened. 

Dean was tempted to wipe his sweaty palms on his jacket but thought better of letting go of the (apparently) speechless angel.

“Alright, let’s just push off the wall, then. Nice and easy for our first time.”

Dean couldn’t help the blush crawling onto his cheeks. Dirty jokes had always been his thing, especially at the expense of Cas, who didn’t always get it, but _accidental_ innuendo? Fumbling over his words? That was not Dean.

_What the hell is happening?_

Charlie tightened her grip on Sam’s arm from _white-knuckled_ to _bone-breaking_ when she saw Dean and Cas talking.

“Dude, look.” She pointed over to them, and Sam followed the direction of her finger over to his brother and their angel, who had just pushed off the side of the rink while holding hands.

“The holding hands part or-“ Sam began, but Charlie interrupted.

“They were soul-banging with their eyes, Samuel. And it was _intense_. But yeah, also the cute little hand holding.” Charlie said, guiding Sam over towards a table with a speaker on it. Nobody had been manning the DJ spot when they had first arrived, but an older woman with fluffy earmuffs had (finally) shown up.

“Can I request a song?” Charlie asked, her eyes sparkling mischievously.

Dean and Cas were struggling to stay upright when Charlie's song came on. 

"Oh my God, I love this song!" Dean said, putting a hand under Cas' elbow as he started to fall. Cas looked at him, his eyebrows scrunching together. " _I really can't stay."_

"If you've got to leave, you can go. I'll just sit on the side and watch, it’s fine." Cas said, squinting at Dean and searching his eyes. 

"No, you idiot, it's the song." Dean laughed. Cas visibly relaxed. " _This evening has been, so very nice."_ Dean took both of Cas' hands in his and swung them back and forth, flashing a megawatt smile at the angel.

"Dean, I'm going to lose my balance if you keep doing that.” Cas said, looking at his feet sternly, as if staring at them threateningly enough would keep them from slipping.

“ _The neighbors might think-“_ Dean hummed the rest of the lyric, not quite remembering the words. He maneuvered Cas backwards to avoid being tackled by a pair of ambitious teenage boys that appeared to be racing.

“ _Your eyes are like starlight now.”_ Cas said quietly, his voice barely a melody on the breeze. Dean smiled, more to himself than to Cas, as the angel’s eyes were still trained on his skates.

“ _I really can’t stay, but baby, it’s cold outside.”_ Dean sang softly, lifting Cas’ chin. Cas looked up at Dean, and his eyes were shining brightly in the late afternoon sunlight. 

“ _The welcome has been, so nice and warm...”_ The words got lost on Dean’s lips, caught somewhere in his throat as Cas slipped a little bit, stumbling into Dean’s chest. 

The song continued in the background.

_Gosh your lips look delicious! Waves upon a tropical shore…_

Cas blushed, the tips of his ears turning an embarrassing shade of red as he pushed off of Dean’s chest to right himself. He looked up into the hunter’s eyes, so warm and welcoming in contrast to the weather around them.

It was this comparison that drew Cas’ attention to the cold of Dean’s hands, still enclosed in his own, and the slight fog that grew between them with each ragged exhale.

“I-uh-I’ll go get you some cocoa.” Cas said suddenly, and let go of Dean’s hands.

Dean watched the angel struggle to skate to the other side of the rink, and gave him a small wave when Cas looked over his shoulder sheepishly. 

Dean only realized the sun was setting when some large string lights above his head turned on, the rink soon flooded with a soft light. He looked up and sighed, thoroughly confused about what he was feeling right now. 

It couldn’t be butterflies. Dean Winchester did not get butterflies. _Especially_ not for a man. 

Then why did he feel so cold and lonely when Cas left? 

_Baby, it’s cold_

_Baby, it’s cold outside_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Updates soon!!  
> P.S. I have never been ice skating, so this was mostly my imagination. Sorry if it wasn’t quite like ice skating is in real life :p


	8. Hallelujah! Where’s the Tylenol?!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Charlie determines the team needs a game night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright y’all, things are starting to get REAL spicy!!

**_December 22_ **

“It’s game night!” Charlie’s voice came singing through the hallway. “All participants please report to the war room.”

Dean groaned, rolling off of his bed and face-first into the floor of his room. He didn’t even have the energy to put his hands out to catch himself, he just slid off his bed like all the bones in his body had been misplaced. (Which, it wouldn’t be the first time.)

“C’mon, Dean, she’s really been looking forward to this.” Sam said from out of nowhere, kicking Dean softly in the ribs.

Dean grunted in return.

“Yes I know you’re tired, but Charlie specifically brought games for _you_ to play.” Sam said to the blob that was once his coherent brother.

Dean muttered something into the carpet.

“No, it’s not your fault, but it _is_ your responsibility. She’s our little sister, Dean, you said so yourself.” 

Dean raised a hand in a half hearted (let’s be honest, a one thirteenth hearted) effort to get up. “Too much work. Not enough energy.” Dean said.

Sam sighed. At least he was getting words now.

“Dean, so help me, I will get Cas in here and he will teleport your ass into the war room.”

That got Dean’s attention. He scrambled up, grabbing a blanket and wrapping himself in it grouchily. “Let me change, you pervert. Go, get a move on.”

Sam rolled his eyes and punched his brother in the arm before walking out of Dean’s room, which suspiciously smelled like air freshener.

_Whatever._

“Okay, guys, I brought _Clue_ , _Sorry, The Game of Life, Apples to Apples, Cards Against Humanity, Pictionary, Monopoly,_ and I made a bunch of prompts for charades. Shall we vote, my knights?” Charlie said from the head of the table, two hands on the wood like she was delivering some very important news. Cas and Dean sat to her right, and Sam sat next to the chair saved for her on her left.

“I’m gonna say no to _Clue, Sorry,_ and _Game of Life._ ” Dean mumbled, clutching a coffee cup and wrapped in a soft grey blanket. Charlie nodded and took those games off the table.

“No _Monopoly_ for me, ‘cause that one will end up with one of us dead. Most likely me or Cas.” Sam said, stretching his long arms over the back of his chair. Charlie heard a distinct _crack_ before he sat back up. “You and Dean are just too damn competitive for that.”

Charlie nodded again. “Cas?”

Cas looked at each of the remaining games in deep concentration. “I think anything ‘against humanity’ is a bad thing, considering we try to save it all the time.” He observed, pushing _Cards Against Humanity_ towards Charlie.

Charlie sighed. That was one of the games she was really looking forward to playing with the boys, mostly because a lot of the jokes would go right over Cas’ head and partly because Dean’s sense of humor was jacked up beyond all comparison. She slid the game off the table, and made a little whimpering noise before putting it back in her bag.

“I believe that _Apples to Apples_ just sounds like an awful game, does nobody remember what happened the first time Eve was given an apple?” Cas continued, and Charlie put her hand up.

“Dude, I’m stopping you right there. The only games we have left are _Pictionary_ and charades. Unless you guys wanna play hide ‘n’ seek or something.” Charlie said, and Dean grunted in agreement (she hoped).

“Alright, then, let’s start with _Pictionary.”_ Cas said, folding his hands on the table and looking so fiercely determined to win a game that Dean choked on his coffee.

They soon discovered that _Pictionary_ required actual drawing skills, which none of them had except Cas. Cas drew magnificently well, his pictures detailed and shaded perfectly within the small time frame the game allowed for. Cas slapped Sam’s hand in victory after Charlie groaned in frustration and dropped her forehead to the table when Dean chucked a pencil across the room and ripped an awful drawing of a dog into pieces.

“Dean! It looks like a giraffe! How the hell was I supposed to know it was a dog?” Charlie yelled, clearly more frustrated than the game intended to make its players.

Dean actually _snarled_. “It looks like a damn dog, Charlie! I don’t care what you say!” He yelled back, banging a fist on the table. Cas and Sam exchanged a glance.

“Ooookay, I think it’s time for charades! Charlie, why don’t you grab the prompts?” Sam said cheerily.

Charlie mumbled something under her breath in Dean’s general direction before reaching into her bag for the charades cards.

“Let’s switch teams, yeah? Cas and I versus you two?” Dean said, already walking over, planting himself behind Cas and slinging an arm over his shoulder. 

“Nah, let’s just all work together. That way nobody gets asphyxiated with a pillow tonight.” Sam replied smoothly, throwing a pointed look at Dean and Charlie. Dean sighed and collapsed into his chair petulantly.

“I’ll go first!” Charlie said, obviously happy to move on to a different game.

She pulled a piece of paper out of the pile and studied it, before looking up to the ceiling in thought.

“Okay, I got it!” She exclaimed triumphantly, before taking a few steps back from the table.

Charlie bowed her legs comically, slouched her back, and brought her hands under her armpits. 

She stayed in the position for a few seconds before Dean finally snapped his fingers. “A monkey!” He said, and when Charlie relaxed and nodded, Dean smiled back happily. 

“I guess I’ll go.” Cas said awkwardly, before standing up and walking to the head of the table. He grabbed a prompt, and when he read it, he blanched.

“What is it, Cas?” Dean asked, concern wrapping his voice.

Cas swallowed loudly. “I can’t say it or I’ll give it away, Dean.” He laughed nervously, and the laugh died on his lips as he re-folded the paper and dropped it to the floor.

Cas began undoing his tie, fingers working slowly and methodically before the blue piece of fabric was held limp in his hands. Dean’s heart jumped.

Next, Cas started to unbutton his shirt, his eyes set squarely on a point in the back of the room. He glanced at Dean when he heard the hunter inhale sharply, but when he looked, green eyes were averted somewhere just over his shoulder. 

“Stripper?” Sam questioned, and _thank Dad,_ Cas stopped unbuttoning his shirt with one button to go. Cas breathed a sigh of relief, before shuffling back to his seat, eyes on his feet.

“Charlie, why the hell was that a prompt?” Dean asked, his voice more gravelly than usual. As Cas began to re-button his shirt, he saw Dean’s hand subtly shift into his lap.

Charlie shrugged as Sam stood to pick a paper. “I Googled some charades things, and just found a list and printed it out. I didn’t really look at it.” She admitted, looking everywhere but the boys as she twirled a piece of hair around her finger. (Which was totally not suspicious at all.)

“Well, now I’m scared.” Sam chuckled, trying to lighten the mood. (It didn’t work.)

Sam cleared his throat as he set the prompt on the table, and then smiled. He shifted himself before grabbing his stomach and miming a hearty laugh.

Dean looked pained, Cas looked extremely embarrassed, and Charlie looked thoroughly confused.

Sam tried again, slinging one hand over his shoulder and grabbing his stomach again, this time huffing the words _Ho Ho Ho._

Charlie laughed. “Santa Claus!” 

Sam nodded, and Dean slowly got up from his chair to play out his turn.

The stupid little piece of paper had five stupid little words on it: _for two people- a couple._

Of course he pulled that one. Out of all the prompts he could’ve chosen, he chose the damn _couple_ one.

“Uh-this one needs two people so...Cas will you, um-will you help me?” Dean stuttered out, and he could feel his face heating up. _Why did he choose Cas? He should've chosen Charlie!_

Cas stood up, and walked up to Dean. Dean showed him the prompt and the angel’s eyes widened. He looked up at Dean and gave him the slightest shake of the head, practically begging him without words to just _pick a different paper._

Dean wanted to, but he wanted to act out being a couple with Cas more. 

He smiled widely, grabbed the angel’s hand, and mimed walking. Dean pointed at something, and then laughed soundlessly. 

Charlie and Sam gave them blank stares.

Dean’s nose twitched, and he blinked ~~aggressively~~ slowly, letting his anger out through his eyelids. He took a deep breath.

Before he could think better of it, Dean grabbed the sides of Cas’ face, and, despite every instinct in him screaming at him to _go for the lips_ , he kissed Cas softly on the cheek.

It was no more than the ghost of lips on the light scruff of Cas’ jaw, but electricity flowed through Dean from where his mouth had touched the angel. Cas looked up at him slowly, pure astonishment written all over his face.

And damn it, Dean wanted to kiss him again. 

He was leaning in to do so, properly this time, right smack on those beautiful lips of his favorite angel of the Lord, when Charlie cried out “a couple!”

Dean growled quietly, low in his throat, the primal sound of an animal being denied it’s desires. Cas’ pupils dilated, and he whined softly.

Dean pasted on a lopsided grin before turning back to Charlie and Sam. “Yup! A couple! Alright, I’m tired as hell, I’m going to bed. Goodnight!” He said, voice full of fake cheer to cover up his need to kiss Cas again. 

Charlie watched as Dean stalked down the hall, wrapped in his blanket that he had discarded in favor of playing games, and fought the urge to happy dance right then and there. Cas stood awkwardly breathless at the head of the table before turning pointlessly in a small circle and mumbling a goodnight to Sam and Charlie.

When Cas had gone wherever he goes when the rest of them are asleep, Charlie and Sam high fived. 

“Yes! Yes! They just freaking _kissed!_ ” Sam whisper-yelled, pumping his fists in the air and nodding his head like he was dancing. 

Charlie tsked. “Dean kissed Cas _on the cheek_. I’m not counting it a win until there is actual lip-locking, Samuel, and you shouldn’t either.” She then let out the squeal Sam had been waiting for, and threw her arms around his neck. “But yes, they did affectionately make lip-to-cheek contact, and it might not be the same as saliva-sharing, but it’s definitely a step in the right direction.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I took a few liberties with the charades prompts (obviously), but I couldn’t help it sorry😂  
> Updates soon! <3


	9. Dancing To The Jingle Bell Rock

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Dean and Cas are introduced to old ladies and Charlie and Sam flee for the hills

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ok, if you thought it was getting spicy last chapter, y’all ain’t ready for this chapter.  
> also THANK YOU GUYS for all the kudos and comments. every comment I get makes me smile, no matter how bad my day is. :))  
> we’re almost in the home stretch😬

**_December 23_ **

“Oh my _Dad._ ”

Sam, Dean, and Charlie all turned their heads towards Cas in tandem, like a trio of psycho kids in a horror movie.

“Did you seriously just say that?” Dean questioned, looking at Cas in fear, because the dad jokes (heh) were _not_ something he was prepared for.

“Is that not something that you guys say?” Cas questioned, raising an eyebrow at Dean in a challenge. Dean shifted uncomfortably under the intensity of that eyebrow.

“Well, yeah, we say that, but you can just say ‘ _oh my God’_.” Charlie said, covering for Dean, who had begun sputtering out random words and sounds.

Cas shrugged.

An awkward silence fell over the group as they all considered whether or not Cas was trying to make a dad joke (heh again).

“Okay, then, well, you boys have fun in there. We’ll see you later!” Sam said as he and Charlie inched away from the other two like they were rigged to explode.

“Where are you guys going, again?” Dean asked suspiciously as soon as he had regained the ability to talk.

“Uh-last minute shopping?” Charlie said, not convincingly.

Cas and Dean looked at her skeptically.

“Oh, welcome, welcome!” A warbly voice from behind them exclaimed before either man could say anything in response to Charlie’s suspicious behavior. 

Dean and Cas turned to see a large woman moving gracefully towards them. She was covered in different patterns, a long skirt flowing around her legs. Her silver hair was pulled up in a tight bun, and if Dean didn’t know better, he would’ve said she looked like Mrs. Claus.

Weirder things had happened, actually.

“Hello.” Cas said after a minute, looking at Dean like he would hold the answers as to who this woman was. Dean shrugged in response.

“You must be Castiel,” the woman smiled warmly, taking one of Cas’ hands in her own. She barely glanced at Dean before her gaze returned to the angel’s face. “And you, Dean.”

Dean just stared at where Cas’ hand was enclosed in the woman’s. 

Was that...jealousy he was feeling? It couldn’t be.

“I’m _Miss_ Stewart, but you can call me Laurel.” The woman continued, batting her eyelashes at Cas as she began to lead them all inside. “Welcome to our annual arts and crafts seminar here at _Barrel of Crafts_ , your friend called and reserved some spots for you!”

Dean almost got hit in the face with the door, because he was _still_ looking at the woman’s wrinkled hands that were _still_ holding Cas’ hand.

“As you can see, many of these young ladies here-“ Laurel gestured in the general direction of some women that all had greying hair, and one of them looked at Dean and winked.

Cas stiffened.

“-are ready to let their inner artist out, and today, we’re doing freeform crafting! You can choose whatever medium you’d like, whether it be sculpting, drawing, stamping, sewing, or any other type of crafting! Here is your table, dears, and please feel free to holler if you need anything.” Laurel patted Cas’ hand once and gave him a loving look before waltzing off to bug some other lady with cataracts.

“Dude, I think _Laurel_ has a crush on you.” Dean said, staring off in the direction she had gone. 

Cas looked deeply disturbed. “I’m a few millennia older than her, so that’s a bit awkward.” His eyes widened as he realized what he said. “Not that I’m _old_ , or that it really matters, and she’s a very attractive woman-“ Cas winced. “I-you-not that I’m _interested_ in her, but-“

Dean held up a hand and sighed. “Just stop talking. Let’s get this over with.”

  
  


“And how are my favorite young men doing over here?” Laurel said, standing above their table like an intimidating grandma.

“We’re quite well, thank you.” Cas said politely, not taking his eyes off of his drawing.

Laurel gasped. “My, my, Castiel, that is positively breathtaking!” She practically ripped the piece of paper out of his hands and brought it up to her face, all up-close-and-personal. Laurel gracefully grabbed some small glasses from a pocket in the folds of her skirt and perched them on her nose. “I can definitely see the resemblance to one of our... _mutual_ _friends._ ” 

Laurel winked as conspicuously as a woman over the age of sixty possibly could, and Cas blushed furiously.

Dean looked curious, and he was reaching for the paper when Laurel handed it back to Cas, who immediately hid it behind his back.

“And you, that sculpture is...well-it’s quite...marvelous?” Laurel said, glancing at Dean’s sculpture.

Dean sighed and flopped back into his chair. “I’m so much better at destroying stuff.” He mumbled under his breath, but Cas heard him. He was tempted to reach forward and pat the hunter’s hand, and was about to, when Laurel clasped her hands together.

“Well! I was coming over to tell you boys that it’s time for our dance break!” She said, her (predatory) eyes landing on Cas.

Cas shifted, uncomfortable.

Before he could react, Laurel grabbed Cas’ hand and hauled him up with strength that Cas most definitely did _not_ see coming. 

“Time to dance, my dear.” Laurel whispered loudly in Cas’ ear, and Cas looked over to Dean for help.

Except Dean wasn’t in his chair anymore.

 _Huh_.

Laurel led Cas across the room to an open space next to a table clear of everything but a record player.

“Drop the record, Gwenyth!” Laurel called, and suddenly, music floated through the air.

Laurel sighed softly, leaned against Cas’ chest and began to sway. Cas stiffened as her hands roamed all over his back, and he looked frantically for Dean.

Dean was nowhere to be seen.

As soon as Laurel had said something about dancing and then made cougar eyes at Cas, Dean had gotten up and taken off for the bathroom. 

He splashed some water on his face and looked in the mirror, and considered saying _Bloody Mary_ three times just to avoid having to go back out there. 

Maybe these old ladies were witches? Or...demons? (They certainly acted like it.)

Dean sighed. He figured it was probably socially unacceptable to go around stabbing (maybe) demonic old ladies in broad daylight. 

He opened the door to the bathroom and heard the unmistakable sound of music coming from an old record player.

As he rounded the corner back to his and Cas’ table, he saw that Cas wasn’t in his chair anymore. 

_Huh._

Dean turned around towards the music as he heard someone let out a whoop, and his face contorted from mild confusion to fury to pure jealousy.

Cas was swaying in a tight circle with Laurel to the beat, and Laurel’s hands were placed firmly on Cas’ ass.

Dean allowed himself a moment to compose himself, and during that moment, he decided it was alright if he appreciated the pure perfection of Cas’ ass (that’s where Laurel’s hands were, after all). 

After a minute of admiring one of God’s wonderful gifts to humanity (and accidentally giving himself a [totally platonic] boner in the process), Dean gathered himself and strutted over to Cas with as much confidence as he could muster while silently calculating how long it would take to stab all these women with the demon knife he had strategically placed in his boot. 

(It would take longer than he would’ve liked it to, but Dean had come unprepared. He shouldn’t have let Charlie and Sam talk him out of leaving his gun in the car, because they would be with “innocent old ladies”. These women were anything but innocent, and Dean would never admit this out loud, but they were freaking _scary.)_

Dean tapped Cas on the shoulder, and when the angel turned to him, his shoulders sagged in relief. “Dean,” He breathed, then widened his eyes as Laurel squeezed his butt.

“Laurel, my dear, if you wouldn’t mind, I’d like to have this dance with Castiel.” Dean said, charm dripping off his voice like honey.

Laurel flushed, then immediately let go of Cas. “Please do, who am I to stand in the way of young love?” She sighed dreamily.

Dean's eyes widened, and Cas’ jaw dropped.

_Yeah, we’re just gonna ignore that comment._

“That woman is very...feisty.” Cas said quietly as Dean took Laurel’s place.

Dean huffed a laugh. He took one of Cas’ hands in his and placed the other on the angel’s upper back. 

“Yeah, well, who wouldn’t be when _you_ look like _that_ , Cas?” 

Cas opened and closed his mouth like a fish.

Dean looked away, blushing. _Did he seriously just say that?_

Dean felt the soft pressure of Cas’ hand on his shoulder and the vibration of the angel’s vocal chords against his chest as he hummed along to the song.

_I hear the bells_

_Saying Christmas is near_

Dean swayed with Cas, and the rest of the world seemed to fall away. When he finally screwed up the guts to look at his partner, the other man looked beautiful.

Cas’ hair was messed up (like it always was), his bright azure eyes gazing softly at Dean (like they always did), his lips perfectly pink and just the slightest bit chapped (like they always were).

_I hear a choir_

_Singing sweetly somewhere_

_And a glow fills my heart_

Maybe Cas was always beautiful, Dean just hadn’t seen it before. Or maybe Dean _had_ seen it and had never let himself _acknowledge_ it before.

The thought made him stutter a little bit, and Cas looked at him with his head tilted in that adorable way of his. 

Maybe Dean _did_ like Cas in more than a platonic, best friend, be-my-bro way. 

Maybe he _was_ accidentally phasing the “b” out of their bromance. 

And with the way Cas was looking at him right now, smiling sweetly and _lovingly-_ maybe Cas liked Dean a little, too. 

This time, the thought made Dean smile, and he remembered when they were interrupted the night before, when Dean had wanted to kiss Cas with every single fiber in his being. 

Dean glanced down to Cas’ lips, into his eyes, then back down to his lips. Dean leaned in, and Cas’ breath caught- 

The record in the background _literally_ scratched.

“Alright, everybody! Time to get back to crafts!” Laurel’s voice warbled unsteadily through the air.

Cas and Dean kept swaying for a few more seconds, faces inches away from each other yet miles apart, raggedly breathing the same air before they realized everyone was still watching them. Dean scrambled away from Cas and walked as fast as he could back to their table.

Dean sat down in his chair with his face on fire. He has just tried to kiss his best friend, and he didn’t even have a charades prompt to blame this time. 

Dean could feel his anxiety beginning to boil up inside his chest, and before it could bubble over, he grabbed his awful sculpture of a tree (he thought it was a tree; he wasn’t really sure anymore) and forced it back into a ball of clay. He always felt like destroying things was what he was meant to do, whether it be monsters, clay sculptures, or his relationship with his best friend. 

Dean flinched as the thought hit him. Before he could overthink _that_ particular anxiety-inducing train of consciousness, Cas sat down next to him. 

“What happened to your project, Dean?” Cas asked, the worry in his voice nearly over powered with curiosity. 

Dean turned to the angel sheepishly. “It sucked, and you know it. I think I’m gonna try something else.” 

Cas sighed. “Well, I liked your sculpture.” He said under his breath as Dean moved to get up to grab some cardstock and scissors. 

When he sat back down, Cas was focusing intently on a piece of paper in front of him, his forehead furrowing as he hunched over the table. 

“Whatcha working on, sunshine?” Dean asked, trying to steal a glance of Cas’ work. Cas covered the paper with a hand. 

“Art, Dean. That’s what we’re here for, is it not?” Cas replied dryly, then winced when Laurel walked up. 

“Here are those colored pencils for you, dear.” Laurel said, handing over a box of colored pencils. She sighed, then leaned over to stage whisper to Cas. “I’m sure he’ll love it.”

Cas blushed. Dean just watched in confusion as the woman winked at him then turned around and hurried away. 

“She’s sure who will love what?” Dean questioned as Cas began pulling out the colors he needed. 

All different shades of green, tan, brown, gold, and peach slipped out of the box. 

“She’s sure the person I’m giving this drawing to will love it,” Cas said quietly, and he glanced nervously over at Dean. “I’m not so sure.”

Dean scoffed. “Anything from you is a gift that should be treasured and revered, Cas. I’m sure whoever is lucky enough to earn a hand-made present from you is going to love it.” Dean nodded once, more to himself than to Cas, as he agreed with the assessment that he had said without thinking. 

Cas blushed and moved his hand away from the paper to color lightly with a tan colored pencil. 

Dean gasped, then immediately averted his eyes to his own project when Cas looked over at him. 

The rest of their time arting (yeah, that’s a word now), Dean snuck glances at the drawing Cas had made. It was a man with a sharp jawline and high cheekbones, short hair and large eyes. It was shaded beautifully, and Dean admired the angel’s amazing artistic gifts in the short looks he could steal.

The man on the page looked vaguely familiar, and Dean had the distinct feeling of the man’s name being on the tip of his tongue. 

Cas continued to color, humming softly to a song Dean _knows_ was on _Dean’s Top 13 Zepp Traxx,_ and when he colored the eyes of his drawing with a dark then light green colored pencil, Dean realized who it was. 

It was _him_ . Cas was drawing _Dean._

Dean just about jumped Cas’ bones right then and there, and had to excuse himself to the bathroom to take a good, long look at the man in the mirror (for the second time since they’d arrived).

The man staring back had absolutely no answers for Dean, and he silently cursed that stupid guy in the glass square as he pulled at his hair and paced back and forth.

Yeah, Dean might totally be in love with Cas.

_Shit._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> if you caught my Easter Egg, I’m sorry to say, you are ✨way far gone✨. I hope I didn’t hurt anybody with the Easter Egg, but I felt like it was the perfect addition to this chapter. I figured it was probably safest not to make explicit references to a certain fic that had us all crying at 3 a.m. but I’m sorry for being an awful person (not!) ;) please let me know if that hurt too much, so I can make up for it later <3  
> also...there are only two chapters left...Christmas Eve and Christmas Day...I can try to stick to my every other day schedule and post the next chapter on Wednesday and the final chapter on Friday, or I can post them both Wednesday...let me know what you guys prefer!!


	10. You Taught Me Everything I Know About Exterior Illumination

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ‘Twas the night before Christmas...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> we’re in the home stretch y’all!!

**_December 24_ **

“If someone says ‘Merry Christmas’ one more damn time, I _will_ turn violent.” Dean announced to the car, his knees to his chest in the backseat.

“Someone’s in a bad mood.” Sam observed (quite astutely, he might add), turning around in the passenger seat to look at Dean behind him. 

Dean glared at Sam. “Obviously I’m in a bad mood! My big-ass brother is giving me literally _no_ leg room! At all!” 

Sam sighed, giving his brother _Bitchface #77_ in the rearview mirror. “Dean, I can’t move up anymore or my legs will be squished. So deal with it.” 

Dean bounced back against his seat, wincing when it put an odd angle on his knees. “ _My_ legs are squished, but whatever.”

Cas reached across the backseat to pat Dean’s hand. Dean leaned into the touch a little bit before pulling his hand up to his chest and crossing his arms. 

Cas frowned and looked out the window.

“You guys need to chill. We’re going to the light show, and we’re going to pretend like we’re having fun, okay?” Charlie said through her teeth. Sam glanced over at her and she offered him a tight lipped smile. 

“Charlie’s right, guys. We should be _thoughtful_ and _appreciate_ all that we have.” Cas said quietly, and he could see the reflection of Dean looking at him in the window. 

Dean had been avoiding Cas since Charlie and Sam had picked them up at the craft store the night before, and Cas had no idea why. 

“Exactly, Cas!” Charlie said, and she caught his eye in the rearview mirror. “Now that we’re almost there, does anybody want any snacks?” 

Everybody shook their heads. Sam raised his hand as if to say he did want snacks, but Charlie immediately shot him a glare that said _no health-nut snacks for you_ and then turned on the radio. The sound of Christmas music filled the small Bug and Dean let out a growl. 

“Dean, what the hell?” Charlie asked, turning around and looking at Dean. “You just suddenly became a grinch again. I thought we made progress!” 

Dean looked apprehensively at Cas before grumbling something. 

Charlie put a hand to her ear. “I’m sorry, I didn’t catch that.”

Dean rolled his eyes and pronounced every word. “I’m. Just. Tired. Today. Charles. Leave. Me. Alone.”

“You’re like a teenager, you know that?” Sam said, turning around and glaring at his brother.

“I don’t care, Sam, and you know what’s even better? I don’t care that I don’t care!” Dean snapped back. He looked at Cas with something that looked like- _fear?-_ in his eyes before crossing his arms and looking out his window at the passing trees.

When they arrived at their destination (a street in town), Charlie put the car in park and turned around in her seat. “Listen, guys, I’m sorry for dragging you guys through Christmas crap the past couple of days-“ she held up a hand to silence protests from Sam and Cas “-but I really want you guys to enjoy this, okay? It’s Christmas Eve, and I hope you guys can forgive me.” 

Dean sighed loudly. “We forgive you, Charles, just don’t go around making any traditions.” Dean opened the door and stumbled onto the sidewalk, his legs numb from the lack of legroom. He stood up and started stretching. “Let’s get this over with.”

Charlie looked at him in confusion. “It’s a drive-up light show, Dean. We stay in the car.”

Dean whined. “C’mon guys, I’m a full grown man, I need space for my legs!”

Sam scoffed. “Yeah, go ahead, just completely ignore _my_ need for legroom.”

“You know what Sam-“ Dean said, about ready to throw open the passenger door and give his brother a piece of his mind.

“Dean! Get in the damn car!” Cas practically yelled, startling the other three.

When Dean ducked back into the car, he looked over at Cas, who was facing away from him and looking out his window. Dean turned, defeated, to his own window.

A tense silence fell over the car, and yeah, maybe it was all Dean’s fault that everybody was each other’s throats, but he had too much pride to admit it.

After his little revelation the day before, he had been avoiding Cas like the plague, trying to steer clear of awkward conversations that would probably end up with Dean on top of Cas (or Cas on top of Dean; he _had_ entertained the idea, and the immediately cursed himself when the thought made his heart practically jump out of his chest and over a cliff) and Cas (hopefully) making sounds that no angel of the Lord should ever even _dream_ of making.

Dean was no angel, though. And he did have dreams of Cas making those sounds.

But that’s all they were, just dreams. Nothing more than a fantasy that Dean needed to let play out. And while that was happening (and his dick was getting more attention than it deserved), Dean just needed to make sure to stay away from the angel.

Because avoiding your problems automatically makes them go away, right? (Dean was no therapist, but that didn’t sound like it would be actual-therapist-approved.) 

But he was gonna do it anyways because goddamnit he was _Dean Winchester_ , and ‘feelings’ had never been something he was good at.

“Sam, will you turn the radio to that station over there?” Charlie said, pointing across the dashboard to a sign planted in an abnormally green lawn. Sam squinted at the sign and turned back to Charlie. “It’s 151.8.” Charlie said with a sigh.

Sam dutifully turned the radio dial, until they heard a man speaking over the speakers. “ _Welcome, welcome to the brightest street in Kansas! Thanks for tuning your radios to fifteen eighteen, and get ready for the best light show you’ve ever seen! Please stay under the speed limit, and be mindful of…”_

Cas tuned out the rest of the announcement over the radio in favor of looking at the darkened houses outside his window. (Who would want to listen to a PSA about running children over, anyway?) Cas wanted desperately to speak to Dean alone, but the hunter wouldn’t allow it. 

A song began playing on the radio, and suddenly, every house on the block lit up in tandem. Cas’ eyes widened and a small smile danced on his lips as he watched the lights blink and dance to the music.

_It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas_

_Everywhere you go_

The houses lit up green, then red, then a rainbow of all different colors. They seemed to undulate, almost like a crowd at a football game Cas had seen on TV. The wave stopped, and the lights began to pulse gold.

“Holy shit.” Cas heard Dean breathe, and when he turned, the hunter looked stunning. He was backlit by sparkling lights that changed in the night, the warm lights turning to a red, throwing Dean into an eerie light that made him look like he was full of mysteries.

Cas loved mysteries.

The lights turned white, and Dean turned toward Cas, the green of his eyes standing out against the bright lights behind him. They looked like a forest, brimming with life and emotion and nature.

Cas loved nature.

The lights turned an ocean blue, and Dean sucked in a breath. The change in color stood out on Cas’ hair, shimmering like he was underwater. His eyes popped beautifully for a moment, then the lights went out as the song ended.

When the lights came back on, Cas was turned the other way.

Dean sighed as the next song came on. 

_You shake me up and turn me upside down_

_Just like a snow globe_

Charlie gasped. “I love this song!” She whispered, and turned the radio up until the car was shaking.

Cas hummed along to the song, and Dean reached forward to grab his hand. Cas turned around.

_Glittery_

_You light me up like starlight on a_

_Christmas tree_

“I’m sorry.” Dean mouthed, and Cas smiled. 

“You were being a jerk,” Cas mouthed back with a grin, and Dean laughed, a beautiful laugh, one where he threw his head back and laughed with his whole body. 

Cas loved Dean’s laugh.

When Sam turned around to look at his brother, Dean frowned and looked out his window.

_Outside it's coming down_

_But here inside, it's warming up so_

_When you take your time_

_You turn me on and make my life glow_

Dean turned back to Cas when Sam turned around and winked. “I’m an awful person, I know.” Dean mouthed, smiling.

Cas leaned towards Dean to whisper in his ear at the same time Dean leaned towards Cas to whisper in his ear.

That’s how it happened. 

They brushed lips, just barely, and if it hadn’t been for Dean jumping and hitting his head on the top of the car, nobody would’ve noticed. (Nobody but them, anyways.)

“I-you-oh my god.” Dean squeaked out, and the pink of his face matched the color that the lights around them turned.

Charlie and Sam turned around almost immediately, and asked at the same time, “Are you having a stroke?”

Dean shook his head wildly, and Cas watched in amusement. They hadn’t even _really_ kissed, not how Cas wanted to, and with the way Dean was pretty much drooling while looking at Cas and then immediately looking away, it wasn’t the kiss Dean wanted either.

The song in the background changed to something more upbeat, and Dean fiddled with his hands before sneaking a glance at Cas.

Cas looked at him and beamed, his eyes crinkling and his gums showing. Dean couldn’t _not_ grin lopsidedly back at Cas (like the idiot he was), and when he did, Cas’ smile stretched impossibly wider. 

_Oh, I wanna have him beside me like oh-oh-oh_

_On the 25th by the fireplace, oh-oh-oh_

Sam was watching in the rearview mirror, and since the music was still blasting, he leaned over and said to Charlie, “They’re talking again.”

Charlie glanced behind her. “Sam, that isn’t talking, that’s eye-banging.” She sighed dreamily. “Or, that’s being so in love that smiling describes what you’re feeling better than words.”

Sam nodded. “That sounds more like it.”

Charlie smiled, almost bittersweet as she exited the light show and turned the radio back down to an acceptable volume (for her, anyways). “Did you guys like the show?”

Cas and Dean didn’t respond, they just nodded absentmindedly and continued smiling at each other.

Sam turned around and looked at them, and they finally broke eye contact. Dean looked sheepishly at his hands that had settled in his lap and Cas looked out his window, attempting (and failing) to hide a smile.

Charlie poked Sam on the shoulder and held up her phone. Apparently, she was very good at typing and driving, and Sam nodded after he read the message she had written.

_Operation Mistletoe is a-go._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> the final chapter will be posted on Friday!! :))  
> I know I sound like a broken record, but seriously, thanks for all the support. we’re almost there!! <3


	11. Santa, Baby

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> CHRISTMAS!!!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Merry Christmas to all you wonderful people!!! I hope you have a fantastic day and a happy new year!!  
> Thank you all for every single comment, kudos, and read! You guys gave me motivation for this story, and I’m incredibly thankful to have had so much support for my first chapter fic! Love you all<3  
> This chapter is a wee bit longer than the rest of them, just because it’s the last one and I’m a sucker for fluffy (and sappy) endings ;)

**_December 25_ **

Dean loved Sam and Charlie. He really did. They were kind, smart, obnoxiously funny (emphasis on the  _ obnoxiously  _ part), and were badass hunters.

But it was really, very,  _ extremely _ hard to love them when they were jumping on his bed at the buttcrack of dawn like children, screaming “It’s Christmas! Wake up, Dean, it’s Christmas!”

Dean rolled over, groaning as he pulled a pillow over his head. Charlie bounced right on his leg, and he gave an unmanly yelp of pain into his pillow.

Neither grown child took the hint. “Dean, it’s Christmas! Wake up! Wake up!” Charlie shrieked, emphasizing every word with a smack of a pillow. 

Dean groaned again and pushed the pillow harder on his face, his breaths coming back into his face in hot puffs of air. 

“Deeeeeeean! Get! Up!” Sam said, bouncing on Dean’s bed on his knees. Dean was surprised the sasquatch hadn’t-

“ _ Ow!” _ Dean cried, vaulting the pillow off his face in the general direction he thought Sam was in. “Sammy, Charles, what in the hell is wrong with you?” Dean pulled his foot up towards his hand and began massaging his pinkie toe. It felt broken to him, thanks to his oversized excuse for a brother.

Maybe Dean was being dramatic.

(They were lucky he hadn’t pulled a gun on them. Dean tended to be an angry sleeper. Like a bear.)

“It’s Christmas, Dean! We’re gonna open a few presents now, and then eat breakfast, and then make dinner, and then open the rest of the presents and drink some eggnog and go carolling and-” Dean held up a hand to stop Charlie from picking apart every minute of their day.

“First, coffee. Then presents.” Dean squinted and looked around the room for his (favorite) trench coated angel. “Where’s Cas?”

Charlie and Sam looked at each other with smiles so big that it looked like their cheeks were going to cramp. “Hey,” Dean said, snapping his fingers. “What’s up with the creepy clown smiles?”

Sam’s eyes widened as he stood up and looked frantically for clowns. “Where are the clowns?” He asked, his voice barely a squeak. 

Dean looked at his brother with pure disappointment written on his face. “There are no clowns, Sammy.”

Sam breathed a sigh of relief, the tension in his shoulders deflating like a balloon after a party.

“We woke Cas up already, he’s in the kitchen attempting to make coffee.” Charlie offered, side-eyeing Sam because ‘clowns’ was a story she was definitely going to have to bribe out of him. 

Dean perked up (at the prospect of Cas or coffee or Cas making coffee, nobody was sure), and he threw the blankets off himself before he realized he was in nothing but his underwear. His underwear that was damp from things he had done in the night. 

(Accidentally kissing Cas had been one for the spank bank, alright? No matter how much he had tried to deny it, Dean’s body did not agree. And it wasn’t like Dean cared about being on Santa’s naughty list, anyways.)

Charlie let out a sound that could be compared to a dying rubber chicken and fell to the floor, covering her eyes and writhing in disgust. Sam just looked at the ceiling and thought about crying, because Dean was his brother, and after spending way too many nights being locked out of the motel bathroom and covering his ears, he knew what this meant. 

“Uh-I’ll be out in a minute.” Dean said tightly. Sam nodded solemnly, and reached down to grab Charlie’s elbow and lead her out of the room.    
Charlie was still covering her eyes, and in his haste to  _ get the hell outta Dodge,  _ Sam led her right into the door frame. 

“Ow! Frack! Samuel!” She cried, and uncovered her eyes to see Sam booking it down the hallway in fear. Charlie raced after him, intent on slamming his giant head into a door frame multiple times. 

Dean sighed and fell back on his bed.

When he emerged from his room, Dean found Sam sitting at the kitchen table with an ice pack on his head and Charlie sitting triumphantly next to him. Cas was leaning against the counter with a cup of coffee in his hand, and he offered the cup to Dean. 

Dean took it, and their fingers brushed.

Dean’s heart had no right to jump up and start racing, but that’s what happened.

“Good morning, Dean.” Cas said, and Dean mumbled something in response. Dean raised the mug of coffee to his lips and was immediately met by a taste of the best damn coffee he had ever had. 

Maybe that was just because Cas had made it for him, though. 

Whatever the reason, Dean drank the coffee faster than he probably should have, and then grinned at Cas with a mustache of foam on his upper lip. “Morning, sunshine. Merry Christmas.”

Charlie squealed, then ran over to tug on Dean and Cas’ arms. “Can we open presents now? Please?”

Sam rolled his eyes. “Only some of them, Charlie. We need some for tonight.”

“Each of us will unwrap one, okay? Okay.” Charlie said, dancing out of the kitchen and shooting each of them in turn with finger guns. 

Sam looked at Dean with puppy dog eyes, but Dean wasn’t about to let him get away with being in on Charlie’s plan (whatever it was). “Go on, Sammy.” Dean said, motioning to the door with his coffee cup. 

Sam gave an over dramatic sigh as he got up and dragged his feet to the door. Cas began to follow him, then he turned around and held his hand out to Dean. 

Dean hesitated.

“We’d better go, before Charlie comes back.” Cas said, looking at Dean with such openness in his eyes and softness in his features that Dean took his hand tentatively.

“One present for each of us, huh?” Dean said, proud of himself for being able to form a coherent sentence while holding Cas’ hand. The angel’s hand was rough, but his touch was delicate enough that Dean could see the hand both leading armies and healing newborn babies. The thought made him smile. “Whose are you gonna open?”

Cas looked up, thinking. “I believe I want to open either one of Sam’s or Charlie’s.” Dean’s grip tightened infinitesimally, and Cas squeezed his hand in response. “I’m going to save the best for last, Dean.” 

Dean smiled sheepishly, and looked away to hide a blush that was trying to claw its way onto his face. 

“Dean!” Charlie’s shrill voice came through the hall, and just as a mop of red hair came crashing around the corner, Dean tightened his grip on Cas’ hand before letting go. 

“Charles, how do you have so much energy? You’re like a little kid,” Dean said, ruffling Charlie’s hair. 

Charlie smiled then grabbed Cas and Dean’s arms and dragged them into the war room. “It’s Christmas, c’mon, Dean-o. How can you not have energy?”

She turned around and looked at the tree, still dazzling in its uniqueness. Charlie reached under the tree and grabbed a present with bacon on the wrapping paper. “Dean, I want you to open this one,” she said with a smirk, then she cleared her throat and put on a straight face. 

Dean looked at her suspiciously, because if he had learned anything in the past couple days, it was that Charlie  _ always _ had ulterior motives (especially if she was smirking, or attempting [and failing] to hide a smirk).

The present was light, and when Dean shook it (maybe he was a little kid, after all), it didn’t sound like anything in particular. 

Dean looked at Charlie one more time before ripping the wrapping paper violently. 

Sam scoffed. “Dean, you have to be careful. What if it’s something fragile?”

Dean rolled his eyes but picked at the wrapping paper with less vigor to please Sam.

When he got the paper off, Dean was faced with a brand-spanken-new edition of  _ Busty Asian Beauties _ . 

“Wow, Charlie, you know me so well.” Dean deadpanned. Charlie looked like she was about to explode with laughter.

“First of all, I do know you well, Dean. And second-“ she plucked the magazine out of his hand and put a finger on Dean’s lips when he made a noise of protest “-you won’t be needing this for very much longer, so it’s  _ mine  _ now.”

Dean looked at her in confusion.  _ He wouldn’t be needing it for very much longer? _ “Then why’d you buy it, Charles?”

Charlie laughed. “Just in case. I always have a back up plan, you should know this by now.”

She reached under the tree for a small present that was wrapped with devil emojis. “For you, Samuel.” Charlie handed the present to Sam with a great flourish of her hands.

Sam unwrapped his present carefully, picking at the seams and taking the wrapping paper off whole. Once he was finished, he mashed the wrapping paper into a ball and threw it at Dean’s head.

Dean dodged it without even having to move, because the ball of wrapping paper didn’t even make it to his head before it lost its will to destroy (and live) and plummeted to the ground. 

Sam looked at his present, trying to hide the disappointment that his failed attack on Dean had caused him. “Oh, wow, Charlie, are these for outside?”

In his hands was a packet of seeds for a tomato plant. (Sam tried not to look too excited but couldn’t help it, because now he could start a  _ garden.) _

“Yeah, so you can plant them up in a clearing and grow your own food!” Charlie said, nodding and reaching for a large present wrapped with little cartoon bees all over it.

Sam smiled. “Thanks, Charlie.”

Charlie hummed in response as she handed the present in her hands to Cas. “You’re welcome, Samuel. Now, Cas, I really think you’re going to like  _ this _ present.”

Cas tilted his head a little bit as he squinted at her. “Are you going to open a present?”

Charlie waved a hand. “I prefer giving gifts. Giving makes me happy.” She smiled at Cas in encouragement. “Now, go on, I promise it won’t bite.”

Cas glanced at Dean, who was looking at Cas’ gift with a really intense look of curiosity. Cas smiled at the way the hunter was trying to, as Dean would say,  _ X-ray his way through the wrapping paper. _

Cas ripped at the corner of the wrapping paper. It revealed a black cloth, and when he got all of the paper off, Cas was holding some sort of black article of clothing.

Dean looked at Charlie, asking  _ what? _ with his face. Charlie just winked at him.

Cas’ face lit up when he realized what it was. “Oh! Oh, my.” He held the black cloth up to himself. “Charlie, I love it!” 

“What is it?” Dean asked, but by that point Cas had put it on.

_ Holy shit. _

It was a trench coat. But it was  _ black _ . 

Cas put on the trench coat and looked directly at Dean, and it took every single ounce of strength Dean had to keep himself from either fainting or throwing himself at Cas and taking what he so desperately wanted (and needed).

Dean gripped the back of a chair with white knuckles. 

Cas looked  _ stunning. _ The black of the fabric matched the oblivion of his hair and pupils, only serving to make his eyes brighter than ever. The blue pierced through Dean, and he could’ve sworn he saw the bright glow of grace in Cas’ already impossibly sapphire eyes.

Yeah, okay, maybe Dean wouldn’t need  _ Busty Asian Beauties _ anymore. Not with material like  _ this  _ for his spank bank.

“I-“ Dean squeaked. He felt weak in the knees. “I’m going to my room,” he finally finished, his voice feeling like a rubber duck. He walked (more like waddled) stiffly to the threshold of the hallway before he broke into a full-on (and very uncomfortable) sprint to his room.

Cas looked at Sam and Charlie in confusion. “Is Dean alright?” He asked, genuine concern squeezing his lungs.

Charlie snickered. “He’s  _ fine,  _ Cas. He’ll be back for dinner.”

“Hopefully,” Sam added, and he and Charlie burst into laughter. Cas just looked even more confused. 

“Well, I’m going to go check on him, I guess.” Cas said, and began walking towards the hallway when he was tackled by Sam and Charlie.

“Do  _ not _ go back there, Cas.” Sam warned, and Charlie nodded.

“He needs some alone time, he’ll be okay, we promise.” Charlie assured him, and they both got off of Cas and helped him up. “Now, why don’t you help us make some Christmas dinner?”

They decided as a group to eat dessert after opening the final few presents (well, Dean was adamant that he wanted pie, but the other three refused). 

When there was only one present left, Cas was the one to hand it to Dean.

“This is for you, Dean.” Cas said awkwardly, before wrapping his new black trench coat around him and sitting down. He was wearing his bee pajama pants from Dean (which Cas had received with a smile wider than the Grand Canyon, a smile that made Dean feel all warm and fuzzy inside) and his new bee slippers from Sam squeaked a little as he took weight off of them.

“Open it, Dean!” Charlie said, leaning back onto her new fluffy pillow and blanket and twirling the string of her new fairy ornament (which she had received with a lustful sigh before quickly apologizing to Dorothy, wherever she was at the moment).

Dean smiled and untied the green ribbon that was holding a tag on it. This was the same present Dean had seen in the mall parking lot, and curiosity had been eating at him since he set eyes on it.

He glanced at Cas once, and the angel was watching his face with such intensity that when he realized he had been caught, Cas blushed and looked away. 

Dean ripped open the white paper and was left with a book.

_ A book? _

It was leather bound and fairly heavy, and was about the size of Dean’s hands.

“Uh, Cas? What is it?” Dean asked, looking from Cas to the book back to Cas.

“Open it.” Cas said, so Dean did.

Inside were a few photos, some of a random family that was absurdly happy in a picture-perfect field of rolling green hills. The others were of Dean, taken by Dean, or some of Dean’s favorites.

There was the picture Dean took of Sam all those years ago with the spoon in his mouth while he was fast asleep.

There was the picture Bobby had taken of their group before they had gone after Lucifer.

There was one of Dean, smiling up shyly at the camera.  _ That _ was a picture he didn’t remember being the subject of, but if the small blur in the top corner of the photo that looked like a finger was anything to go off of, Cas had probably taken it when Dean wasn’t expecting it (or when he was drunk).

The drawing of Dean was in there, too. It was colored beautifully, looking just as magnificent as it had while Cas was working on it, and even though Dean wondered exactly  _ how _ Cas had managed to get it in the gift, he figured it was some angel magic. 

“Cas, it’s beautiful. This is probably one of the nicest gifts anybody’s ever gotten for me.” Dean choked out, on the verge of tears.

Cas tilted his head in that adorable (Dean could let himself admit it was adorable now) way of his. “There’s more, Dean.”

Dean raised an eyebrow, and Cas reached forward to turn the book to the back.

The rest of the pages were blank, left open to fill with memories to come.

In the back cover was a small box, placed neatly in a little cavern cut out especially for it. Dean tilted his head (maybe in an adorable way, he wasn’t sure) and grabbed the box.

It was a dark wood, almost black, and when he opened it, it resisted a little bit before opening wide.

Inside was a small chain with a bottle on the end of it. The bottle was  _ glowing _ (which was a cause for concern), and when Dean lifted it up by the chain, it flashed turquoise.

“It’s a little bit of my grace,” Cas explained when Dean looked at him quizzically. “You can wear it, or you can keep it in your car, but this way you can always have a part of me with you.” Cas blushed as he said this last part, and looked at Sam as if to say  _ it’s your gift, too  _ (but mostly to avoid looking at Dean). Sam was in the midst of opening a Chia Pet of a dog, but he had stopped to watch Dean open his gift and was now looking at Cas with wide eyes.

“Cas, c’mere.” Dean said hoarsely, and Cas complied. Dean wrapped him in a tight hug, and Cas tentatively put his arms on Dean’s back. 

“Thank you,” Dean whispered into Cas’ hair, and Cas nodded in response. “Thank you so, so much.”

Cas smiled over Dean’s shoulder. “You’re welcome, Dean. I’d hoped you’d like it.” 

Dean chuckled, nuzzling his face farther into Cas’ neck and squeezing his arms tighter. He mumbled something that sounded like  _ I love it _ , but Cas wasn’t sure.

Just as Cas was settling into the hug, Dean pulled away. “I believe we were promised pie?” 

Charlie was looking at them with shock written all over her face. She nodded slowly. “Uh-yeah. Over there.” She pointed in the direction of the kitchen. 

Dean grabbed Cas’ hand and raced into the kitchen before he even knew what he was doing. “Love me some pie,” he was mumbling to himself, and he heard Cas laugh from behind him. 

Okay, Dean couldn’t stop himself from glancing over his shoulder and smiling at the angel behind him. But it was worth it when he saw Cas’ delighted grin directed back at him.

Inside the kitchen was a single apple pie. Dean looked around frantically, because there could  _ not _ be only _ one _ pie, and there was no way it could be  _ apple _ . He loved his cherry pie and Charlie knew that.

“C’mon, Dean.” Cas said, and now he was pulling Dean along towards the pie. Dean pouted, and was about to cut himself a slice when Cas pointed up.

Dean looked at Cas in confusion and then looked up. 

“Oh my  _ god _ .”

Above them was an actual, real-life piece of mistletoe. 

Cas wouldn’t know what mistletoe meant, right? How could he?

Cas obviously did know what mistletoe meant, because he gently grabbed the sides of Dean’s face. Dean’s eyes widened and his heart rate shot up, but there was no way he was gonna let  _ Cas  _ be the one to kiss  _ him. _

Dean lurched forward and pressed his lips firmly onto Cas’. Cas made a noise of surprise, which was warranted, but then he relaxed into the Dean.

Dean expected him to be pliant, but Cas was kissing him so passionately and with such force that Dean ended up being the one to let Cas maneuver him back into a wall, and Dean ended up being the one to pull away for air (angels must have a crazy huge lung capacity). 

Cas’ cheeks were flushed, his pupils blown, and his hair was messed up more than it usually was from Dean’s wandering fingers.

He was  _ beautiful _ .

And maybe Dean could finally say it.

“You’re beautiful, Cas.” Dean panted out, a bit undignified, but he wouldn’t have it any other way, because the next thing he knew, Cas was kissing him again. 

“You’re beautiful, too, Dean,” Cas mumbled against his lips, and Dean blushed. “Your soul is brighter than some entire  _ galaxies _ I’ve seen.”

Dean didn’t have anything to say that would compete with that. He was surprised he was even still breathing, much less standing. There was no way he was gonna form a coherent sentence, even a coherent  _ thought _ when his brain was short circuiting the way it was.

Cas began to pull away, and Dean chased his lips, bringing them back together in another heated kiss.

Dean was still feeling a little anxious, he could feel the panic bubbling up inside him, the claustrophobia of being in his own skin, but Cas seemed to sense it, because he softened the kiss to nothing more than a press of lips, something to ground Dean. 

Dean smiled, and hummed in content before he pulled away.

Cas looked at him questioningly, and Dean just licked his lips and said “ _ pie”. _

Yeah, he loved Cas, and yeah, he loved the way Cas’ body felt against his, his lips searching for something in Dean’s own, but it was still Christmas, and there was still pie.

Cas threw his head back and laughed his wonderful laugh that made Dean chuckle along with him. “Let’s get you some pie, then.”

Dean cut himself a generous slice of apple pie, and in between bites, he alternated giving Cas sloppy kisses and big forkfuls of pie (from the pan, because no matter how much Dean loved tasting apple pie filling on Cas’ tongue, he wasn’t going to waste bites of his own slice).

Then a thought struck Dean. “How’d you know there was mistletoe? And how’d you know what it means?” 

Cas took a minute to chew the bite of pie Dean had shoveled into his mouth. “Charlie and Sam told me.”

Dean really should’ve been expecting that, honestly.

Still, he groaned and ate an exasperated bite of pie made by two of his favorite people that had  _ betrayed _ him. (Maybe it wasn’t as much of a betrayal, since it was something he and Cas had both wanted, but  _ still _ .)

“I’m going to give them a piece of my mind,” Dean said through a mouthful of pie, and Cas reached up to wipe some crumbs from Dean’s chin.

“I actually think it was a nice sentiment, considering you would’ve come for pie at some point,” Cas said, and he opened his mouth to accept the forkful of dessert that Dean was solely forcing into his mouth to shut him up (and totally not because he liked the way Cas looked with his mouth full). 

“Yeah, well, I’m just glad you guys finally got your shit together.” Sam said, and Dean whipped around to see his brother and Charlie standing next to each other with triumphant smiles on their faces.

“Language!” Charlie exclaimed, and she punched Sam in the arm, eliciting a laugh from everyone.

“You guys are evil, you know that?” Dean said. He was stalling for a few more seconds, to get Sam and Charlie  _ just  _ a couple steps closer. 

“It’s a good evil, Dean,” Charlie countered at the same time Sam, being his philosophical self, explained “the road to hell is paved with good intentions”. They both took steps into the kitchen, and Dean finally had his chance.

He grabbed his plate of pie and brought it up to Charlie’s face with his right hand as he brought the pie pan up to Sam’s face with his left hand.

It  _ was _ apple pie, after all. Dean preferred cherry.

Charlie and Sam sputtered for a second before grabbing some of the pie off their face and throwing it at Dean, joy written on their faces. Cas watched in amusement until Dean pulled him in front of him as a human(ish) shield.

After a really intense food fight that resulted in pie in places pie definitely shouldn’t be (a kink Dean didn’t even know he  _ had _ ), Charlie huffed off to take a shower before going to bed.

Sam skulked into the war room to grab his new flannel blanket that had little moose on it (Dean had got a good laugh out of that one) before announcing he was off to his room.

Dean and Cas stayed up for a little bit longer, bundled in blankets and watching each other more than they were watching the corny old Christmas movie on TV. 

The glow of the TV cast an ethereal light on Cas, and Dean smiled softly at the angel he could finally call  _ his. _

“Merry Christmas, Cas.” Dean whispered, shifting himself so he was leaning on Cas’ shoulder.

“Merry Christmas, Dean.” Cas replied, and Dean fell asleep on Cas in a way that Cas was sure would leave Dean complaining about his neck and back in the morning (but it was nothing a little grace couldn’t fix).

It was a very merry Christmas, indeed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed it :))  
> Merry Christmas <33


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